Hawaii Business Magazine July 2023 by aio Hawaiʻi

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L O C A L LY O W N E D , L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D SINCE 1955

PLUS: YO UTH I N M E NTA L H E A LTH C R I S I S P. 32

R I D E TH E R A I L P. 100

Hawai‘i’s Got Pride Profiles of 4 LGBTQ+ leaders. including Ha‘aheo Zablan, GM at the Kaimana Beach Hotel P. 95

HAWAIIBUSINESS .COM

K AL AE RESIDENC E 00 LIV ING RO O M

A Modern Home with Endless Views With the radiant southern shore of O‘ahu as a backdrop, the residences of Kalae are thoroughly modern homes designed and built for gracious island living. One, Two, and Three Bedroom Residences

INQUIRE

kalaewardvillageliving.com | 808 376 1610 Offered by Ward Village Properties, LLC RB-21701

THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN OFFERING OR SOLICITATION OF SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE PROJECT IS NOT REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW OR WHERE SUCH OFFERING OR SOLICITATION WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROHIBITED BY LAW. WARD VILLAGE, A MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN HONOLULU, HAWAII, IS STILL BEING CONSTRUCTED. ANY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF WARD VILLAGE OR THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS THEREIN, INCLUDING THEIR LOCATION, UNITS, COMMON ELEMENTS AND AMENITIES, MAY NOT ACCURATELY PORTRAY THE MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR ITS CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS. ALL VISUAL DEPICTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THE DEVELOPER MAKES NO GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS, FACILITIES OR IMPROVEMENTS OR FURNISHINGS AND APPLIANCES DEPICTED WILL ULTIMATELY APPEAR AS SHOWN OR EVEN BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF WARD VILLAGE OR ANY CONDOMINIUM PROJECT THEREIN. WARD VILLAGE PROPERTIES, LLC, RB-21701. COPYRIGHT ©2023. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.

bey nd awards We applaud the Top Performers honored by Hawaii Business Magazine. At Hawai’i Life, we truly value such commendations as they reflect the dedication and hard work behind every achievement. It’s the happiness radiating from content clients, the spirit of the community, and the commitment of an incredible team. Congratulations to each of Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top Performers and the Hawai‘i Life team. HawaiiLife.com | 1-800-370-3848

O‘ahu Maui Kauai Hawai‘i Island

2O23

Top Industry Leaders in Real Estate

Q&A WITH

Ashlee Sook Cho James NMLS #368025 PRESIDENT HAWAII BEST LOANS NMLS #397936

MORTGAGE COMPANIES

As a topperforming mortgage brokerage company here in Hawai‘i, what is the secret to your success? A: We have a topnotch,

experienced team of loan officers. Every member of the team knows how to work with our Realtor partners and their clients to construct the right type of loan to complete the real estate transaction. When you couple this with an array of the finest, specialty lenders in the business, the result is a strong foundation leading to continued success. Q: Currently, we are experiencing a period of high interest rates. How

Hawaii Best Loans, LLC... “where we make the impossible loans possible!” (NMLS#397936) As a top-performing mortgage broker here in Hawaii, we offer the following loan programs through our experienced, quality lenders: • Conventional • VA • FHA • USDA • Jumbo Loans

• Buydown Loans (lower rates for first 2-3 years) • Reverse Mortgage (Standard and Jumbo) • Non-QM and DSCR • Foreign National Loans

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

can you navigate these troubled waters and find ways to close loans? A: Our specialty lenders offer

creative lending programs to deal with the high interest rate environment. As an example, we have “Buydown” programs that allow our borrowers to obtain a lower interest rate loan that we can refinance during the first 2 to 3 years before the rate adjusts upward. Q: What are the two most important things to look for in a mortgage loan? A: Rates and service, without a

doubt. The promise of low rates is meaningless without the quality service needed to close your clients’ loans. The last thing you want to experience is a surprise at the closing table. We provide exceptional service to our Realtors and their clients. Q: Why should Realtors choose Hawaii Best Loans as a strategic lending resource vs. banks or other mortgage brokers? A: Banks are restricted by rules,

regulations, and their static lending programs. Hawaii Best Loans has a variety of lenders who compete for our loans. We also have a proven track record of finding the right lenders and programs for your clients. Our pipeline closing ratio is 98%!

Hawaii Best Loans . . . “realtors’ best friend.” Ashlee Sook Cho James NMLS-368025

President Office - (808) 591-1137 Cell - (808) 349-1619 Email - ashlee@hawaiibestloans.com Website - www.hawaiibestloans.com 4

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Hawaii Best Loans, LLC (NMLS # 397936) 1288 Ala Moana Blvd #24B, Honolulu, HI 96814 Office: (808) 591-1137 Cell: (808) 349-1619 www.hawaiibestloans.com

Insurance Solutions Specifically Designed for Luxury Homeowners At Atlas Insurance Agency, our private client services team specializes in providing customized insurance plans to protect the accumulated assets and generational wealth of high-net-worth families in Hawai’i. Insurance coverage is so much more than homeowners insurance. We offer solutions for all of your needs including jewelry, art and collections insurance, luxury vehicle and watercraft insurance, personal excess liability and cyber insurance, flood insurance, and travel insurance. Contact us to learn more!

Your Navigation Partner. atlasinsurance.com | info@atlasinsurance.com | 808.533.3222 | 201 Merchant Street, Suite 1100, Honolulu, HI 96813

Smiles get wider outdoors. At Trust for Public Land, community is at the center of everything we do. Healthy communities rely on a connection to the outdoors, which is why we’ve preserved over 77,000 acres across Maui, O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, and Hawai‘i Island. We’re working to preserve more of Hawai‘i’s green spaces so that everyone can enjoy the benefits and joys of the outdoors.

Mahalo to our corporate ‘ohana for helping connect everyone to the outdoors: Oceanit Central Pacific Bank Foundation ALOHA Collection Ward Village Bank of Hawai‘i Foundation First Hawaiian Bank Foundation Hawai‘i Gas Title Guaranty Hawaii American Savings Bank Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union Foundation Hawaiian Electric Macy’s AES Alexander & Baldwin James Campbell Company

PHOTO: TINA AIU

JOIN US AT TPL.O RG

Many hands working together

Shelee Kimura

Scott Seu

Ann Teranishi

President and CEO, Hawaiian Electric

President and CEO, HEI

President and CEO, American Savings Bank

The companies of HEI, which include Hawaiian Electric and American Savings Bank, are united by a common purpose — to create a better Hawai‘i. One that thrives economically, environmentally, culturally, and socially, and where all in our community have access to resources and opportunities to attain their dreams.

READ OUR LATEST ESG REPORT TO LEARN HOW WE’RE CATALYZING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER

HEI.com

Business Behind ALICE.

The business community can make a larger impact by collectively supporting ALICE research and the ALICE Initiative. Together we can build a stronger and more resilient Hawai‘i. Jennifer Diesman HMSA

Shelee Kimura Hawaiian Electric

Momi Akimseu Bank of Hawai‘i Foundation

Ray Vara Hawai‘i Pacific Health

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Support the ALICE Initiative.

www.AUW.org | www.AUW211.org

Patrick Ono POSITION: District Manager LOCATION: Nawiliwili, Hawaii DATE HIRED: Feb 27, 1997 NOTES: Operations expertise from years of managing teams across the western region. Passionate about fighting community hunger. Serves on Hawaii Foodbank’s Kauai Advisory Board. Arranged transport of the Foodbank’s new refrigerated truck to Kauai. Champions food drives and distribution events to support organizations like Nana’s House in Waimea.

Matson’s people are more than Hawaii shipping experts. They are part of what makes our community unique. Visit Matson.com

KAUAI

Congratulations to our Top Performers!

HANNAH HANNAHSIROIS SIROIS

RUTH RUTHS.S.MARVIN MARVIN REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B)| |RB-17731 RB-17731

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-83176 RS-83176

REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B)| |RB-23783 RB-23783

REBA REBAROY ROY

ANNE ANNEELIASON ELIASON

(808) (808)639-2367 639-2367

(808) (808)652-4422 652-4422

(808) (808)282-3695 282-3695

(808) (808)482-9700 482-9700

(808) (808)855-5808 855-5808

TIM TIMMIRA MIRA

CASSADY CASSADYSIROIS SIROISKRUSE KRUSE

STEVE STEVEL.L.COLE COLE

SHARON SHARONCARLSON CARLSON

DANIAL DANIALT.T.GARVEN GARVEN

(808) (808)639-2263 639-2263

(808) (808)652-4179 652-4179

(808) (808)635-1409 635-1409

(808) (808)720-0730 720-0730

(808) (808)635-3989 635-3989

RUTHIE RUTHIEKAMINSKAS KAMINSKAS

STEPHEN STEPHENA. A.CIPRES CIPRES

BILL BILLWARD WARD

MARY MARYLAVOIE LAVOIEOLSON OLSON

FOUNDER, FOUNDER,REALTOR® REALTOR®| |RB-20034 RB-20034

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-72759 RS-72759

(808) (808)377-0443 377-0443

(808) (808)295-5009 295-5009

(808) (808)469-7292 469-7292

(808) (808)372-6986 372-6986

(808) (808)222-0072 222-0072

MYRA MYRABRANDT BRANDT

SUSAN SUSANBOROCHOV BOROCHOV

ELIZABETH ELIZABETHC.C.MAKANANI MAKANANI

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-62433 RS-62433

REALTOR® REALTOR®| |RB-16862 RB-16862

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-73795 RS-73795

HEIDI HEIDIBERTUCCI BERTUCCI

BRIDGET BRIDGETTOWNSEND TOWNSEND

(808) (808)224-3413 224-3413

(808) (808)478-0330 478-0330

(808) (808)294-0810 294-0810

(808) (808)585-1089 585-1089

(808) (808)265-3906 265-3906

REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B)| |RB-15263 RB-15263

OAHU

REALTOR(B) REALTOR(B)| |RB-21130 RB-21130

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-78191 RS-78191

REALTOR® REALTOR®| |RB-14004 RB-14004

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-77715 RS-77715

KEPA KEPAKRUSE KRUSE

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-28667 RS-28667

GRETCHEN GRETCHENBOOMA BOOMA

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-83764 RS-83764

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-75862 RS-75862

live live who who you you are are

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-75630 RS-75630

REALTOR(S) REALTOR(S)| |RS-75850 RS-75850

REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®| |RS-59202 RS-59202

REALTOR® REALTOR®| |RB-23199 RB-23199

BIG ISLAND

We We are are proud proud to to celebrate celebrate the the exceptional exceptional Corcoran Corcoran Pacific Pacific Properties Properties agents agents who who made made the the Top Top Performers Performers List List in in Real Real Estate Estate in in 2023. 2023.

TRACY TRACYABRAMS ABRAMS

KEVIN KEVINB. B.SHIRAKI SHIRAKI

ANNIE ANNIEL.L.MENDOZA MENDOZA

JENNI JENNILEE LEE

(808) (808)937-4466 937-4466

(808) (808)757-8104 757-8104

(808) (808)960-0308 960-0308

(808) (808)557-5831 557-5831

(808) (808)430-3022 430-3022

JON JONMCCUMSEY MCCUMSEY

DEBORAH DEBORAHTHOMPSON THOMPSON

KEVIN KEVINR. R.WALMSLEY WALMSLEY

KAREN KARENE. E.BAIL BAIL

JENNIFER JENNIFERH. H.RICE RICE

(808) (808)747-4489 747-4489

(808) (808)938-6631 938-6631

(808) (808)313-1514 313-1514

(808) (808)936-4640 936-4640

(808) (808)333-6977 333-6977

ZORAH ZORAHG. G.MEYER MEYER

JEANNE JEANNEA. A.DUNN DUNN

AMY AMYWISTHOFF-MARTIN WISTHOFF-MARTIN

CHRISTOPHER CHRISTOPHERPERRY PERRY

LEWIS LEWISNGUYEN NGUYEN

(808) (808)280-4588 280-4588

(808) (808)283-0571 283-0571

(808) (808)269-6833 269-6833

(808) (808)419-4296 419-4296

(808) (808)280-8426 280-8426

YVONNE YVONNEJ.J.KHOURI-MORGAN KHOURI-MORGAN R(B) R(B)| |RB-13392 RB-13392

R(S) R(S)| |RS-78699 RS-78699

MAUI

R(B) R(B)| |RB-21680 RB-21680

R(S) R(S)| |RS-80834 RS-80834

R(S) R(S)| |RS-81063 RS-81063

R(S) R(S)| |RS-74804 RS-74804

R(B) R(B)| |RB-18374 RB-18374

R(B) R(B)| |RB-23785 RB-23785

R(S) R(S)| |RS-76077 RS-76077

R(S) R(S)| |RS-71220 RS-71220

R(B) R(B)| |RB-16072 RB-16072

R(S) R(S)| |RS-69239 RS-69239

R(S) R(S)| |RS-73271 RS-73271

R(S) R(S)| |RS-72112 RS-72112

R(S) R(S)| |RS-63234 RS-63234

FA FAM MIILLIIAARR N NEEIIGGHHBBO ORRHHO OO ODD EEXXPPEERRTTSS AACCRRO OSSSS HHAWA AWAIIII

KKAAUUAAI I | | OOAAHHUU | | MMAAUUI I | | HHAAWWAAI I I I S I SLLAANNDD | | CCOORRCCOORRAANNPPAACCI F I FI C I C. C . COOMM ©©2023 2023Corcoran CorcoranPacific PacificProperties. Properties.All Allrights rightsreserved. reserved.Corcoran® Corcoran®and andthe theCorcoran CorcoranLogo Logoare areregistered registeredservice servicemarks. marks.Corcoran CorcoranPacific PacificProperties Propertiesfully fullysupports supportsthe theprinciples principlesofofthe theFair FairHousing HousingAct Actand andthe the Equal EqualOpportunity OpportunityAct. Act.Each Eachoffice officeisisindependently independentlyowned ownedand andoperated. operated.| |Brokerage BrokerageLicense: License:RB-18825 RB-18825

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Our expertise. Your bottom line. We consistently deliver outcomes that drive business and bottom-line performance for every client we proudly serve. We acknowledge and thank our 2022 Hawaii top producers for setting the bar high and for being exemplary in the industry. Yasuyuki Kojima

Matthew G. Bittick

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Senior Vice President Capital Markets | Institutional Group +1-808-541-5182 | Lic. RB-19143 Matt.Bittick@cbre.com

Scott A. Crockford

Peter Grossman

First Vice President Capital Markets +1-808-357-3369 | Lic. RB-13508 Scott.Crockford@cbre.com

Senior Vice President Industrial & Logistics Services +1-808-541-5143 | Lic. RS-68843 Peter.Grossman@cbre.com

Nicholas T. Adler Vice President Industrial & Logistics Services +1-808-859-0588 | Lic. RS-78419 Nicholas.Adler@cbre.com

Blair Bonuccelli Managing Director - Hawaii Region +1-808-541-5170 Blair.Bonuccelli@cbre.com

Learn more at cbre.com/hawaii

07.23

FEATURES Paola Rodriguez Beltran, owner of Mudd Studio, works on her pottery at the studio’s Honolulu Chinatown location. Learn more on page 138.

Many Local Youth Grow Up in an Age of Anxiety The number of young people suffering from serious anxiety and depression is deeply distressing – and is especially high among girls and LGBTQ+ youth. 14

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Housing Crisis Deepens Landlord-Tenant Strife We talked with renters, landlords, property managers and advocates about what can be done about evictions, mediation, renters rights and other issues.

Pride Profiles of Four Local LGBTQ+ Leaders They talk about their careers, how attitudes have changed and what they are doing to welcome others in their companies and the broader community.

100

Honolulu Skyline Like a “Disneyland Ride” What you want to know about the first segment of the rail line: prices, bus connections, the views, hours, security and what’s next for rail.

129

Many Homes Coming to Kalihi-Pālama, Waiawa Kamehameha Schools hopes 15,500 homes will be built in the two areas, but full buildout will require many decades and big infrastructure upgrades.

PH OTO BY A A R O N YO S H I N O

07.23

CONTENTS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PURPLE MAI‘A

Purple Mai‘a Builds a Tech & Innovation Ecosystem Grounded in Hawaiian Culture One of its programs, Future Ancestors, includes in-the-field activities that empower students, shown at right.

Attitudes About Tourism Are Shaped by More than Your Job Editor Steve Petranik writes about how support for the state’s largest industry rose slightly in the latest Hawai‘i Tourism Authority survey. 16

What’s Needed to Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season Kevin Kurosu of First Insurance Co. provides a step-by-step guide to being ready – and maybe saving your company – if disaster strikes. 20

Book Excerpt: “Our Beaches Were Empty, Our Hospitals Full” Authors Kirk Caldwell and Georgette Deemer interviewed local leaders for an inside view of what happened in the pandemic. 26

What’s in a Place Name? Hawaiian History and Culture We have become used to English names for lots of local places, but many people now advocate for the traditional Hawaiian names. 18

National Lawsuits Challenge Key Part of Real Estate Business The legal actions test the assumption that sellers must pay the commission for a buyer’s agent. 22

She Finds Hidden Treasures, then Resells Them Online In the My Job column, Jamie Nalani Fulkerson describes her work as the “Upscale Cheapskate.” 28

Hawaiian Culture is the Inspiration for this Nonprofit Keiki O Ka ‘ Āina supports students, infants, toddlers, parents and whole communities. 24

SPECI A L A DV ERTI SI NG SECTI ON S Top Performers in Real Estate Realtors with elite skills and outstanding customer service. 55 Kukulu Hale Awards Recognizing excellence in Hawai‘i’s commercial real estate industry. 105

O N T H E C OV E R

Photo by Aaron Yoshino

HAWAII BUSINESS (ISSN 0440-5056) IS PUBLISHED 10 TIMES A YEAR BY PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS. ©2023 PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ANY UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADAPTATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND WILL RESULT IN LIABILITY OF UP TO $100,000. EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING AND BUSINESS OFFICES AT 1088 BISHOP STREET, SUITE LL2, HONOLULU, HI 96813. TELEPHONE (808) 534-7520. POSTMASTER: SEND ALL ADDRESS CHANGES TO HAWAII BUSINESS, P.O. BOX 913, HONOLULU, HI 96808. SUBSCRIBERS NOTIFY THE SAME OFFICE. PLEASE INCLUDE NEW ADDRESS AND OLD ADDRESS (MAILING LABEL PREFERRED) PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I, AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. SUBSCRIPTION: ONE YEAR $24.99 / TWO YEARS $34.99 / THREE YEARS $44.99. FOREIGN: ONE YEAR $53.99 (US FUNDS). FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES, ADDITIONAL RATES, INFORMATION, NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE, PLEASE CALL (800) 788-4230. JULY 2023 VOL. 69/NO.1

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

F R O M

A N

T H E

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M I N D

Where Do You Fit in Hawai‘i’s Visitor Economy?

AWAI‘I’S PEOPLE HAVE LONG HAD A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH TOURISM. Unfavorable feel-

ings increased throughout the 2010s, but the latest survey by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority of local residents (released in February) found 57% said tourism brings more benefits than problems. That’s a 3 percentage-point increase from the previous HTA survey. Where you land on the love-hate spectrum depends on many factors, such as your job, memory, the island you live on, how you feel tourism is being managed and even your knowledge of state finances (I’ll save that intriguing one for last). Jobs are an obvious divider: An appreciation for tourists makes sense for those whose jobs or businesses directly depend on them. Criticism is more likely from people who feel they get no economic benefit from tourists, but suffer from their impact: overcrowding, higher housing costs, environmental damage and other pain. In between are people with mixed feelings. They have friends and family whose livelihoods depend on tourism, or their own jobs have indirect tourism ties.

HOW SOON WE FORGET

I’m surprised that positivity about tourism – as measured by the HTA survey – had not increased more. I loved the uncrowded beaches and hiking trails during the height of the pandemic, but I remember more that as many as 140,000 people were out of work in Hawai‘i – 21.9% of the local civilian workforce. In fact, throughout 2020, the state’s unemployment rate was the second-highest in the nation, below only Nevada’s, and the main driver was the absence of tourists. Don’t forget the miles-long lines for free food, or that many people only kept their jobs and businesses thanks to massive amounts of temporary government spending. For further reminders of Hawai‘i’s struggles then, see a new book with an evocative title, “Our Beaches Were Empty, Our Hospitals Full,” by former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Georgette Deemer. Excerpts appear on pages 26-27. 16

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Since October 2021, Hawai‘i’s unemployment rate has kept well below 4% and was at 3.3% in April 2023, the latest month for which statistics were available when I wrote this. No surprise that the workforce recovery tracked with the return of tourists. A total of 9.15 million came in 2022, close to the 10.28 million in the peak year of 2019, according to HTA. DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON DIFFERENT ISLANDS

The impact of tourism varies from island to island. On an average day in 2022, there were 100,000 visitors on O‘ahu, an island with 905,000 residents. So every 10th person would have been a visitor. But during a typical day on Kaua‘i and Maui in 2022, with their smaller populations, 1 out of every 6 people on each island was a visitor. Residents there feel the impact of tourists more, but by the same token, both islands are more dependent on tourism for jobs than O‘ahu. Properly managing tourism is essential to people’s attitudes. The HTA survey found that overall attitudes about tourism aligned with people’s attitudes of whether they felt tourism was being properly managed to enhance its benefits and mitigate its harm. Regenerative tourism is essential to that management, everything from ensuring that more local businesses and jobs benefit from tourism to reducing vacation rental homes to imposing user fees that are reinvested into regenerating overused sites, as has already been done at Hanauma Bay and elsewhere. Here’s the part about knowledge of state finances shaping the public’s attitudes: Tourism leaders are especially irked that tax revenue generated by the industry is channeled into the state’s general fund, then spent with no mention of where the money came from. They believe residents would have better attitudes about tourism if they knew how this year’s nearly billion dollars in hotel room tax revenue will be spent: say $240 million for public schools and teacher salaries; $115 million on roads, sewers and water lines; $80 million on parks and so on. I think they’re right. What do you think?

STEVE PETRANIK EDITOR

HB EVENTS CONNECT WITH HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE L O C A L LY OW N E D , L O C A L LY C O M M I T T E D SINCE 1955.

Our goal is to strengthen the local economy and help our communities thrive. Editor & Interim Publisher STEVE PETRANIK stevep@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534-7584 Editorial Managing Editor CYNTHIA WESSENDORF cynthiaw@hawaiibusiness.com • (808) 534-7529 Staff Writer & Engagement Editor NOELLE FUJII-ORIDE

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10TH ANNUAL

Leadership Conference TH U RS DAY, J U LY 20, 202 3 Hilton Hawaiian Village

Hawaii Business Magazine in partnership with First Hawaiian Bank presents the 10th Annual Leadership Conference. Join us for a full-day event featuring inspiring, informative and empowering speakers from Hawai‘i and beyond. Develop and strengthen your leadership skills by attending keynote sessions, workshops and networking opportunities. It is a perfect time to upgrade your leadership skills and connect with other emerging local leaders.

UPCOMING EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 2023

Need to Know Event YWCA Laniākea, Elizabeth Fuller Hall FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

16th Annual Wahine Forum Hilton Hawaiian Village WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023

CEO of the Year Japanese Cultural Center

For more information about our events, visit hawaiibusiness.com/events or contact Magdalena Durak Hershey, Events Manager, at magdalenad@hawaiibusiness.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

‘ Ō L E L O

H AWA I ‘ I

What’s in a Name? Hawaiian History and Culture Hawaiian place names carry a link to their past and a number of people and organizations want us to use those traditional names more than their common English nicknames BY K RY STAL S PEAR

OU MAY K NOW I T AS DIAMOND HEAD, but

Hawaiians call it Lē‘ahi. Lanikai? That’s actually Ka‘ōhao, and the local elementary school has changed its name accordingly. And that small island across from Kualoa Ranch is Mokoli‘i, which means “little lizard.” Legend says the islet was created when the goddess Hi‘iaka cut off a giant lizard’s tail and tossed it into the sea. That’s a more colorful name and story than the common nickname for the island, which employs an oldtime slur to refer to Chinese people that we won’t repeat here. For many of us, these traditional names may not come to mind as quickly as the modern nicknames, but the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Hawaiian scholars and others want you to make the effort to learn and use the Hawaiian names for places across all the Islands. The HTA’s Ma‘ema‘e Hawai‘i Style and Resource Toolkit, created in partnership with NaHHA, asks “anyone who has a role in representing Hawai‘i” to use the Hawaiian place names first before referring to any English nicknames.

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“Hawaiian place names honor the people who named them and the natural forces and stories these names convey. In using proper Hawaiian place names, we bestow the highest honor to the land and the history of place,” says the toolkit, which can be found at tinyurl.com/ Maemaetoolkit. USING “NICKNAMES ERASES A HISTORY”

Katrina-Ann R. Kapā‘anaokalāokeola Nākoa Oliveira, interim assistant vice provost at UH Mānoa and a member of the Hawai‘i Board on Geographic Names, says Hawaiian place names tell us about the significance of places and their features. “When people understand the significance of the place, it helps us to recall what happened there,” says Oliveira. Hawaiian place names “help us to inform how we conduct ourselves in those places. So when we go to a place that is revered for being a very kapu place, a place that’s sacred, you conduct yourself in a manner that commands that type of respect.” The toolkit says people should consider the implications of any English nicknames. While some nicknames may be interpretations of the place’s Hawaiian name, others may be disrespectful to the

traditional value of a place, says Oliveira. “The use of nicknames erases a history, a tradition that preceded the use of the English language here. Not only does it erase the place name, but also the use of Hawaiian language.” Nicknames have also worked to replace the history of a place, says Oliveira. As an example, she describes the East O‘ahu community of Maunalua, whose nickname is ‘Āina Haina. “Folks think that it’s a Hawaiian name, ‘Āina Haina, but it was really because of Hind,” Oliveira says, referring to Robert Hind of Hind-Clarke Dairy. “They hoped that it would sound kind of Hawaiian. And so people … don’t understand that it’s actually a newly created name.” Although the common nickname for

Hawaiian leaders advocate using Lē‘ahi, which means ahi forehead, instead of Diamond Head.

Places with Traditional Names You May Not Know

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES; ILLUSTRATION: AMY LOWE

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS COMMITTED to going forward using the tra-

the islet of Mokoli‘i may seem harmless to some residents, “referencing the nickname in the media could perpetuate the idea that it is an acceptable phrase to everyone, including visitors to Hawai‘i who will return to their hometowns on the U.S. continent,” says the Hawai‘i chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. “When I say the names of these places, I’m quoting my ancestors,” Oliveira says. “I’m saying the same words, the same place names that they once used themselves. And so I’m honoring them, paying respect to them and the culture and the language and the traditions and keeping those things alive. Because that’s what makes Hawai‘i unique, is remembering the Hawai‘i of long ago.”

ditional names for these places first in our stories, followed in some cases by the common nickname in brackets, at least until the traditional names become widely recognized by our readers. Please excuse us if we sometimes forget. Also included in this list are some commonly misspelled places and other information from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s Ma‘ema‘e Hawai‘i Style and Resource Toolkit. H AWA I ‘ I I S L A N D

• Pu‘uhonua O Hōnaunau (City of Refuge) • Waiānuenue (Rainbow Falls) • Waikoloa (not to be confused with Waikōloa on O‘ahu)

O ‘A H U

• Ala Moana and Ala Wai (exceptions to the “all place names are one word” rule) • Kalaeloa (Barbers Point) • Mokoli‘i • Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head) • Kawaihāpai (Dillingham Airfield) • Ka‘ōhao (Lanikai) • Kūkae‘ōhiki (Laniākea) • Pōka‘ī Bay (often misspelled without the second kahakō) • Awāwamalu (Sandy Beach) • Paumalū (Sunset Beach) • Waikōloa (often misspelled without a kahakō; not to be confused with Waikoloa on Hawai‘i Island) K A U A‘ I A N D B E Y O N D

MAUI

• Haleakalā (often misspelled without a kahakō over the last “a”) • Pe‘ahi (Jaws) L Ā N A‘ I

• Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) • Pu‘upehe (Sweetheart Rock) • Kaiolohia (Shipwreck Beach)

• ‘Alekoko (Menehune Fish Pond) • Nāpali (often misspelled as two words) • Pā‘ula‘ula (Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historic Park) • Keoneloa (Shipwreck Beach) • Papahānaumokuākea (Northwest Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument) H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

B I Z X :

A DV I C E

F R O M

E X P E R T S

Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season Six sensible steps from a local insurance expert BY KEVIN KUR OSU

age can be catastrophic. Businesses cannot afford to be complacent: Think now about your property and operational exposures and act soon. First, consult with your insurance agent and ask these essential questions: Do I have hurricane coverage for my property? Do I have enough coverage? Is my property correctly valued? Then ask your agent if you have enough business income insurance to sustain you through a long period of reconstruction. If Hawai‘i were to be hit by a hurricane, thousands of homes and commercial buildings, as well as public infrastructure, could be damaged. In this scenario, rebuilding could take longer than a year depending on the availability of construction materials and labor. In addition to insurance, other risk management techniques you undertake now can minimize any property damage and business interruption you might suffer from a hurricane. Here are six sensible steps. • CREATE AN EMERGENCY PLAN: FEMA’s Ready Business Hurricane Toolkit helps you identify your risks, 20

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develop a plan and take action. Find it at tinyurl.com/FEMAtools.

tion will be handy later if you have to make an insurance claim.

• DEVELOP A CONTINUITY STRATEGY: Consider how your business can continue to operate if your primary location is severely damaged, then create a continuity plan that prioritizes your most essential business functions.

• BE PREPARED: Acquire supplies ahead of time, including items to protect your property as well as emergency supplies for anyone who has to shelter in place. Consider a portable generator, alternative fuel sources and a supply of ﬂashlights, lanterns, radios and other equipment that can be operated without electricity.

• BE READY FOR A LOCKDOWN : Be prepared to properly secure and protect your facility and equipment from potential wind and water damage, as well as possible theft. • HAVE BACKUPS: You may lose documents stored on-site – whether they’re paper or ﬁles on a computer. Consider waterproof storage options and off-premises and cloud storage backup for documents such as accounts receivables, tax records and personnel papers. • KEEP UPDATED RECORDS: Maintain an updated inventory of your business property, including purchase receipts, appraisals and photos. This informa-

Hurricane season lasts six months, June through November, but other storms can hit anytime. Don’t be caught off-guard – start taking these steps to prepare your business now. THIS MONTH’S EXPERT:

KEVIN KUROSU, VP OF COMMERCIAL UNDERWRITING, FIRST INSURANCE CO. OF HAWAII

ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES

HURRICANES DON’T HIT OUR I S L A N D S O F T E N , but when they do, dam-

N O M I N AT E

We Seek Your Ideas Nominate a person or organization for these three upcoming features BY ST E V E P E T RAN IK

AWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE WANTS YOUR NOMINATIONS

for three upcoming features. To suggest a person or organization, fill out the nomination form at hawaiibusiness.com/nominations. • SUSTAINABILITY HEROES: Local people, companies, nonprofits and other organizations that have done important work to enhance sustainability, clean energy and the environment in Hawai‘i. DEADLINE: JUNE 9.

• INFLUENTIAL WOMEN: Local women whose leadership and accomplishments have supported Hawai‘i and its people for many years. DEADLINE: JULY 14.

• SAGES OVER 70: Local leaders aged 70 and older who have stepped down from the top roles in their careers but continue to do important work and mentoring for Hawai‘i and its people. DEADLINE: AUGUST 11.

“Don’t tell me it’s impossible to be a first-time homebuyer in Hawaii. It’s not.” school, years of residency, and so on… by the point they begin their careers, they’ve spent a decade of sacrifice and are likely carrying huge student debt. Not an easy situation to get a conventional mortgage with a large down payment.

“

HE RE ’ S A LOT O F TALK AB O U T THE C HALLE N G E S

of being a first-time homebuyer here, especially in this economy and in this environment. But it’s absolutely possible. And a critical factor is working with a mortgage banker who can help you map out and execute a plan to do it. First-time buyers really need somebody to navigate through the entire process. That’s what I love about what we do.

There are so many kinds of mortgages, and so many personal financial factors that go into the process. The guidelines are exactly the same for all mortgage loans. But not a single loan is the same. A good mortgage loan officer knows all those little differences. You have to be a problem solver by nature. That’s really the kind of team we have at CPB. Something else at CPB Home Loans that makes a real difference is how our team collaborates together. We help each other work out problems and find opportunities. That happens all day long, and it really helps us provide better solutions for our customers. One of our special approaches for first-time buyers is our Physician Flexible Lending program for medical professionals — physicians, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, physical and occupational therapists, and veterinarians. Some people might not think people in these occupations need home-buying help. But when you consider they’ve spent four years in college, four years of medical

CPB Home Loans created a unique, hassle-free term financing program for these professionals: an 80% first mortgage, and a 20% second mortgage. That means zero down payment. And the two loans can exceed $2.5 million, which is a lot of buying power in Hawaii’s real estate market. There are a number of qualifications, of course, but it’s a great way to help them start their professional and personal lives. And if that approach doesn’t work for any given buyer…we’ll find one that will.”

“There’s nothing more gratifying for me than helping people begin home ownership.” –T O M M Y N G U Y EN , A S S I S TA N T V I C E P R E S ID EN T A N D M O R T G AG E LOA N O FFI C ER N M L S # 14 4 3 3 4 5

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Lawsuits Challenge a Central Part of the Real Estate Business The actions test the assumption that sellers must pay the commission for a buyer’s agent BY JAN IS M AGIN M EIED IER C K S

buyers focus on the listing price, the interest rate for their mortgage and the monthly payment they’ll have to pay for the loan. Real property tax and insurance payments are included in the monthly price they pay, and if they’re buying a condominium, they’ll have to consider the monthly maintenance fees too. One cost homebuyers don’t often think about: paying their real estate agent. But at least two class-action lawsuits moving through federal courts on the mainland have the potential to disrupt the traditional commission model for paying real estate agents. Commissions are traditionally charged to sellers and paid to agents as a percentage of the sales price at closing, along with other closing costs. Traditionally that’s been 6% shared equally by the buying and selling agents, but can be lower depending on the services provided by an individual brokerage firm, says Kalama Kim, 2023 president of the statewide Hawai‘i Realtors association. It can also depend on the location of the property and the circumstances of the sale. “For lower-priced and land properties, which are more challenging to market and

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sell, I’ve seen up to 10%, whereas if you’re seeing a median-sales-price property on O‘ahu, you could see anywhere from 6% or you could see 5% or 4%. We see advertisements for flat fees,” says Kim. “Like any other industry you see pricing all over the board, because we’re a professional services industry, and it’s driven by what the consumer wants and expects from their brokerage firm.” HOW COMMISSIONS WORK

A residential home sale commission is initially paid to the listing agent’s brokerage firm, which then will typically split the commission with the buying agent’s firm. The firms then pay a percentage to their respective agents. For example, a 6% commission on a single-family O‘ahu home sold for $1 million would be $60,000, charged to the seller. Assuming a 50-50 split between seller’s agent and buyer’s agent, each agent’s firm would receive $30,000, and, assuming a 50-50 split between the firm and the agent, each agent would receive about $15,000, or 1.5%. In cases of dual agency transactions – when both the buying and selling agents work for the same firm – the firm is required under MLS rules to disclose to any buyers that it will charge the seller a dis-

counted commission, Kim says. By providing that disclosure, other brokerage firms understand the competition, he says. “How it’s split depends on what the seller decides,” says Kim, who is also president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hawai‘i. “The listing contract has an area that you fill in based on discussion with the seller on that cooperating brokerage and data.” What percentage the listing firm is offering to pay a buyer’s agent must be shown in the listing on multiple listing services, per a National Association of Realtors rule that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, Kim says. “The brokerage firm charges the sell-

PHOTO BY AARON YOSHINO

HEN SHOPPING FOR A NEW HOME , most

Traditionally, a 6% commission is paid by a property’s seller and split between the buying and selling agents.

corporate real estate defendants in both cases also have significant market share in Hawai‘i. They include: • Anywhere Real Estate Inc., formerly known as Realogy, whose brands include Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran and Sotheby’s International Realty. • RE/MAX. • Keller Williams.

er a percent and then a portion of that is offered to other brokerages to bring in the buyer,” Kim says. “The brokerage is offering and paying the buyer-side cooperative commission and that’s being advertised on the MLS.” In other words, the seller’s firm uses a share of the commission as an incentive to other brokers as a way to expand the pool of potential buyers for a home or condo. Kim also notes that buyers are already paying fees on the mortgage, along with fees for inspections and other closing costs, so paying a commission on top of that might make it more challenging for some to buy. “If they are paying additional fees in addition, it’s more challenging for them

to purchase a property,” he says. “That’s the dynamic we’ve had in the country for as long as I can remember.” CHALLENGES AHEAD

Antitrust lawsuits filed in federal courts in Missouri and Illinois by home sellers against the National Realtors Association and some of the largest real estate brokerage franchisors in the U.S. are challenging the assumption that a seller must pay the commission for a buyer’s agent. Both cases have been granted class-action status, and some people familiar with them have calculated potential damages to exceed $54 billion. The

The larger of the two cases, Moehrl v. National Association of Realtors, was initially filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois in 2019. It was granted class-action status on March 29. The other case, Sitzer/Burnett v. National Association of Realtors, was filed in Missouri in 2019 and was granted class-action status last year, although a trial in the case was postponed in December. The law firm Cohen Milstein, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the Illinois case, alleges that buyer broker commissions have been kept at 2.5% to 3% “despite the diminishing role of buyer brokers due to buyers independently identifying homes through online services and retaining buyer brokers only after they have found the home they wish to buy.” NAR said in August 2019 that the complaints “misrepresent rules which have long been recognized by the courts across the country as protecting consumers and creating competitive, efficient markets that benefit home buyers and sellers.” While the lawsuits don’t directly involve any firms in Hawai‘i, Kim says he and his colleagues in the industry are watching them. NAR keeps its members at Realtors associations and multiple listing services around the country aware, and Kim says Hawai‘i Realtors has already been talking to its members across the Islands to make sure they know about the issue. “We’re focusing on what we already do well, and what we already do well is to make sure we’re providing quality service to our consumers,” he says. “And if we do that, then we’re focused on earning the commission that we charge on the seller side. That’s within our control.” H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Hawaiian Culture is the Inspiration for Nonprofit’s Programs Keiki O Ka ‘ʻ Āina supports students, infants, toddlers, parents and whole communities BY K RYSTA L SPEA R

EIKI O KA ‘ĀINA PRO VIDES 19 Hawaiian cul-

ture-based programs for families across four islands – a big job that’s only possible because of the nonprofit’s dedicated staff of over 100, says executive director Momi Akana. “If you hire good people who are passionate about their work, it’s not hard for them because they love what they do,” says Akana. “It’s a family of people who care about the people that we serve, and they care about each other.” As a stay-at-home mom 27 years ago, she dreamed of opening her own preschool. But sudden financial hardship changed her perspective on how to help her community. “I ended up, for the first time in my life, being on welfare and figured out really quickly that I was about to learn all the life lessons I would need to serve the population.” She originally worked to help others access food stamps, subsidized medical care and other resources. Today, Keiki O Ka ‘Āina’s mission is to “educate children, strengthen families, enrich communities and perpetuate culture,” says Akana. Its initiatives include home visits to support parents of young children and organized date nights with free child care to promote healthy marriages. The nonprofit operates preschool and infant/toddler

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centers across O‘ahu, and a mentoring program for young incarcerated fathers to help them transition back into their community upon release. They also work with Native Hawaiian practitioners to teach lomilomi, hula and lā‘au lapa‘au, or traditional Hawaiian medicine. In collaboration with kumu Earl Kawa‘a, the organization has led programs in Waimānalo, Mā‘ili, Papakōlea and Punalu‘u that teach people how to hand carve poi boards and stone poi pounders, using natural materials gathered from the land. “He has really brought transformation to our programs,” says Akana. “His reach has really changed who we are and how we see ourselves as an organization. We owe him a lot.”

During the pandemic, the nonprofit began providing after-school tutoring for students who had fallen behind during school shutdowns. Akana says Keiki O Ka ‘Āina is committed to continue providing both live and virtual services. “That’s kind of the way that the journey of different programs works,” says Akana. “We see the need in the community and then we do things to try to address the need.” Looking ahead, Akana says that one priority is recovering the post-pandemic child care workforce and developing it further. She also emphasizes a new focus on sustainable agriculture and has been working with local farms on programs to teach families to grow their own food. And despite its wide range of current programs, Akana says that Keiki O Ka ‘Āina “will always be looking to see how it can help the community.” “We’re willing to partner. We want to collaborate. We’re stronger together.”

“WE SEE THE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEN WE DO THINGS TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE NEED.” — Momi Akana, Executive Director, Keiki O Ka ‘Āina

PH OTO : G E T T Y I M AG ES

The child-focused nonprofit also teaches adults about traditional medicine, making poi pounders and growing food. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

L E A D I N G

T H R O U G H

C OV I D

Our Beaches Were Empty, Our Hospitals Full That’s the name of a new book by former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Georgette Deemer, in which they interview local leaders about Hawai‘i’s response to the Covid pandemic. Here are condensed excerpts from the book released by Watermark Publishing.

R. JONATHAN DWORKIN, SPECIALIST IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES WITH THE QUEEN’S HEALTH SYSTEM: I don’t think

you can talk about the pandemic without acknowledging that the whole creation of The Queen’s Medical Center happened in the shadow of a devastating epidemic disease that depopulated the Hawaiian Islands and destroyed the Hawaiian people. For me, as an ID (infectious disease) doc walking around in early 2020, I’m walking through Queen’s Hospital, which was built in the wake of a smallpox epidemic, and I’m looking up at the portraits of Queen Emma on the wall, and I’m thinking to myself, Boy, I gotta step up. This is, historically, the cause of great tragedy here and we have to do everything we can to make sure that this history doesn’t repeat itself here in Hawai‘i. PETER INGRAM, CEO OF HAWAIIAN AIRLINES: Come April 2020,

we were flying four round-trip flights – Honolulu to Maui, Līhu‘e, Kona, Hilo – a daily flight to Los Angeles and a daily flight to San Francisco that generated much more revenue from cargo, below the floor, than it did from passengers above. But we thought it was 26

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important to keep connectivity for both passengers and cargo for essential travel. And of course, for the Neighbor Islands, we were the only game in town. We were carrying healthcare workers, we were carrying electricity repair people – we’ve always sort of known that that’s the highway system of the state, and it was very true when the only people who were traveling were essential workers. It was important to them that we kept the highway system operating. RAY VARA, CEO OF HAWAI‘I PACIFIC HEALTH: In my mind,

the most important thing we learned during the pandemic was that leadership matters. It was a time when leaders were required to step up and make decisions. The good news was that given the nature of the pandemic environment, it allowed us to 1) be nimble, and 2) be humble enough to correct course when necessary. Each day brought a different level of awareness that may instigate a different decision. I saw leaders who were willing to lead and willing to make those adjustments, sometimes on a daily basis. RON MIZUTANI, THEN CEO OF HAWAI‘I FOODBANK: Raising

your hand because you’re hun-

gry, there’s a stigma to it. I’m not comparing it to domestic violence, but it’s very similar where the shame factor is very real. And when you see cars lined up the way they did to receive food, and some of them absolutely in tears leaving, thanking you, because both spouses or entire families in some cases were without jobs. The Covid infection rate among the Pacific Islander community was the highest in the state due to many factors, including language and cultural barriers, and crowded living conditions. DR. DAVID DERAUF, CEO of the nonprofit Kōkua Kalihi Valley, was an important advocate for Pacific Islanders and other disadvantaged groups. In this excerpt, Derauf describes to co-author Kirk Caldwell why some Pacific Islanders refused to get the vaccine. I hate what’s happening now. Because I see people vilifying them: “These are bad people who aren’t getting vaccinated.” No, they are not bad people. They are our neighbors, those are our friends, those are our community members. ... My own take, talking to friends in the Pacific Islander community, is that there’s just a long history of distrust. We have not bridged that community well still. They feel like,

“You haven’t been here for me, ever. Why am I going to trust you now? You say you’re here for me. You’ve never been here for me before.” I think there’s a lot of that. What works for me with the vaccine — and I most deal with the vaccine hesitant, not the resistant — it is exactly what I think you would do, Mayor. You would sit down with the person and hear them out. What’s going on? How are you, first of all? Right? The basics! How are you doing? What’s going on in

PHOTO BY AARON YOSHINO

A nearly empty beach at the height of the pandemic.

your life? Because this virus might not be as big compared to “My son is in court next week — I’m worried about it, Doc.” OK, I’m going to hear you out about that first. Maybe then we’ll come around to the vaccine. Hey, has anyone talked to you about the vaccine? “Well, yeah, I heard at church that it’s not such a good idea.” Okay, what did they say? What do you think about that? What would it take to change your mind? You’re not ready today. You want to come back

next week, we’ll talk about it again? That’s what it’s taking. It’s really one by one. Slow by slow. It’s happening. My very first patient with Covid was a 38-year-old woman. I called her and said, “Your test came back positive.” Silence. And I had known her; she’d been my patient. Chuukese. We didn’t have a strong relationship, but we had a strong beginning to a relationship already. I said, “We need to ask you to isolate yourself. What’s your living circum-

stances like?” “Well, there’s eight of us in a two-bedroom.” “Is there a way you can have a room to yourself?” Hard. “You can’t go to work tomorrow. You must stay home from work.” She said, “I’m the only one in the house with an income right now. What happens to us if I don’t go to work?” Fortunately, her only symptom was a headache. A bad headache. “But you can’t go to work tomorrow. You’re going to infect your co-workers.” She was in fast-food. “Dr. Derauf, if

I don’t pay the rent, where do you think we’re going to be?” That was my first eye-opener. The easy part of this is to test you. Now I have got the hard part, which is what are we going to do for you? How are we going to support you? Authors Kirk Caldwell and Georgette Deemer, and Dr. Jonathan Dworkin, an expert in infectious diseases, will discuss the local pandemic response at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Ala Moana Center, July 29 at 1 p.m. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

NAME: JAMIE NALANI FULKERSON JOB:

RESELLER COMPANY:

UPSCALE CHEAPSKATE

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PH OTO BY A A R O N YO S H I N O

M Y

J O B

She Finds Hidden Treasures, then Resells Them BY AUSTIN BO URCIER

JAMIE NALANI FULKERSON IS AN ACTIVE RESELLER of thrifty,

vintage goods – a “modern day treasure hunter,” she calls herself. She says she has bought and then sold countless items, including rare clothes like a Chanel tracksuit, accessories, plates and tables. “I found Tiffany & Co. coasters that I paid $15 for and I sold them for $250.” Her company, Upscale Cheapskate, is always sourcing items to buy and resell. She says she prefers used things, as new ones are often harder to sell and don’t make as much profit. She also personally likes to reuse items, rather than throwing them away and polluting the earth. She has been buying and reselling for a long time and launched Upscale Cheapskate during the Covid-19 pandemic. “I noticed a lot of resellers were having a hard time sourcing, and I don’t have a problem sourcing. So I found this app called Flip, and I connect with other resellers and send them some of my finds and we split the profit,” says Fulkerson. “I pass the savings on. I don’t ever try to ‘nickel-and-dime’ people. I put reasonable prices on things.” While the label “cheapskate” can have negative connotations, she embraces it. “It’s the opposite of upscale and people remember it. I’m also a frugal person, but it’s mostly to stand out. You want them to come back, and they’ll remember your story,” she says “I’m always trying to save money. I think everybody is.” Fulkerson uses the handle Upscale Cheapskate on Flip and is hicheapskate on eBay.

“I’M ALWAYS TRYING TO SAVE MONEY. I THINK EVERYBODY IS.” — Jamie Nalani Fulkerson, Owner, Upscale Cheapskate

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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Purple Mai‘a is Building a Tech and Innovation Ecosystem Grounded in Hawaiian Culture The nonproﬁt’s programs are diverse, including dozens of keiki computer classes, a business startup accelerator and certiﬁcations in business analysis

The second cohort of Purple Mai‘a’s women’s entrepreneurship program, Hawai‘i FoundHer, brought together five wāhine-led business owners from Moloka‘i, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PURPLE MAI‘A

BY A ISHWA RYA BEHL

ONPROFIT PURPLE MAI‘A IS BUILDING “an innova-

tion and technology ecosystem in Hawai‘i that is locally grown and based in Hawaiian culture,” says co-founder and COO Kelsey Amos. Its programs are meant to be safe spaces where children and adults can cultivate their digital skills. Amos describes the offerings as “education that is place-based, equitable and balanced.” Purple Mai‘a was founded in 2013 by Amos, Olin Lagon and Donavan Kealoha. By 2022, its 48 classes were serving about 770 keiki, 70% of them Native Hawaiian and half of them girls and women. “Tech is just overrepresented by males. So we try to create a comfortable affirming place for women. For example, we have the Minecraft Wahine Keiki classes – only girls can sign up – taught by our wahine kumu,” says Kealoha. Purple Mai‘a has branched into sectors like workforce development, entre-

“WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS ARE OVER-MENTORED AND UNDERFUNDED SO WE WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT.” —Donavan Kealoha, Co-Founder, Purple Mai‘a

preneurship and design programming, and offers certifications in business analysis and sales-force administration. A new initiative, Hawai‘i FoundHer, is a startup accelerator tailored toward Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Asian American women who are starting their own businesses. Cohort members get a $20,000 investment to build their businesses, with no requirements to give up equity or ownership. “Women entrepreneurs are over-mentored and underfunded so we wanted to address that,” says Kealoha. Amos says Purple Mai‘a also address-

es the need for more Hawaiians in the tech world. “The innovation economy here has to be grounded in Hawaiian culture because it is on Hawaiian land,” she says. Purple Mai‘a calls the innovation and technology ecosystem that it’s helping to build the Malaplex. “It’s innovation grounded in place with Hawaiian values,” says Kealoha. Amos says the end goal is a Hawaiian informed tech campus that “embraces technology and innovation and can function as an incubation ground for ideas that serve both the local and global economy.”

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

Hawai‘i’s young people are struggling with mental health issues. For instance, nearly half of high school girls experience depression. And help can be hard to find.

BY CYNTHIA WESSENDORF PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON YOSHINO

Chachie Abara is launching a Hawai‘i chapter of the Filipino Mental Health Initiative.

PART I: MAPPING THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS The situation is dire but there are hopeful signs, such as the acceptance and effectiveness of telehealth therapy

nxiety can feel like a squirrel in your head. Thoughts get stuck, circling over and over. The constant internal chatter makes it hard to slow down and calm your thoughts. That’s how Chachie Abara describes it, as she recalls anxiously fixating on what other people thought of her. Insecurity may be a hallmark of youth, but hers felt unmanageable. “I was constantly obsessing about whether people liked me,” she says. She says that need for assurance likely stems from being a shy child. She emigrated from the Philippines at age 7 and while she longed for close friends in her new ‘Ewa home, they were difficult to find. As she grew older, social media exacerbated her anxiety and bouts of depression. Instagram can be the worst culprit, she says, as people “show off” in their postings, inviting comparisons. At UH Mānoa, where she majored in psychology and Philippine language and culture, she finally understood what was happening. “I didn’t even know what mental health was,” she says. “In college, I learned the words and definitions behind what I was going through.” She says that among her circles, “people struggle with peer pressure, conform34

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ing, not knowing what to do with their lives. We want to know what’s next.” To deal with intense, often debilitating feelings, many of her peers use medication prescribed by doctors. Others turn to religion or spirituality, meditation and “trying to find and redefine yourself.” Abara talks to a therapist, does free writing, practices mindfulness, regularly disengages from social media and maintains periods of silence. She says she’s on a “healing journey” after hitting a low point and seeking help from a crisis line. Despite having a full-time job, working on a children’s book and running a Filipino-focused podcast called Kasamahan Co, she can doubt herself: Am I doing enough? Does the work I do matter? She reminds herself it’s enough, that she shouldn’t push so hard. But projects have a way of pulling her in. The latest is launching a Hawai‘i chapter of the San Francisco-based Filipino Mental Health Initiative, where she hopes to reach high school and college students, building awareness and delivering the message that they’re not alone. Throughout the Islands and across the continental U.S., at every income level, vast numbers of young people say they are anxious, depressed and thinking about suicide.

TEENAGERS IN DISTRESS The youth mental health crisis has been brewing for years, starting at least a decade ago and accelerating during the long, lonely pandemic months. By 2021, a rare Surgeon General’s Advisory was issued, calling it an urgent public health issue. In February of this year, alarm bells went off again when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey: 42% of high schoolers experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness in 2021, up from 28% in 2011. And 22% were seriously considering suicide, up from 16% a decade earlier. Among girls, those numbers were worse: 57% said they felt so sad or hopeless for a stretch of time that they stopped doing their usual activities. For LGBQ+ students, 69% felt that way. (Data specifically on transgender students wasn’t captured.) Even gloomier, about 30% of high school girls said they were contemplating suicide, as were 45% of LGBQ+ students. These are far higher numbers than those for boys and straight kids, and higher than any single racial or ethnic group, including Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. In April, the Hawai‘i Department of Education and Department of Health released their own data collected for the national report. The Hawai‘i Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which was administered to middle and high schoolers in spring 2019 and fall 2021, found distress levels were slightly lower than national averages, but still worrisome. Among public high school students across the state, 35% said they had experienced at least a two-week stretch of sadness and hopelessness – 7% fewer than national results. And nearly 17% were seriously contemplating suicide – 5% less than the national figure. When the data on girls are broken out, the numbers jump. About 47% of high school girls in Hawai‘i suffered from depression during the survey period, and about 23% had suicidal thoughts. Among middle school girls, an

alarming 35% had suicidal thoughts. For LGBQ high schoolers in Hawai‘i, 59% experienced depression and 39% had suicidal thoughts. A broader segment of the LGBTQ+ population was surveyed in 2022 by the Trevor Project, a national suicide-prevention organization. That survey found that 75% of LGBTQ+ people in Hawai‘i, ages 13-24, reported symptoms of anxiety, 53% had symptoms of depression and 52% were seriously considering suicide. A full 17% had attempted suicide in the past year. Compared to national rates for people of all ages, Hawai‘i has relatively few deaths by suicide, ranking 40th. But among teens 17 to 19, Hawai‘i has the 19th highest rate. Of the 47 young people who died by suicide between 2016 and 2020 across the state, 66% were in the 17-19 age range and 74% were male, according to data from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the state Department of Health. Some teenagers in distress have sought out immediate help. Since launching in 2013, about 3,600 people ages 13 to 17 have used the crisis text line from the 808 area code, according to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division. But that represents just a tiny fraction of young people needing assistance. Recent data from the advocacy group Mental Health America shows that Hawai‘i ranks near the bottom in accessing services: 75% of youths with major depressive symptoms have received no mental health services.

WHAT THERAPISTS SEE The high incidence of teens reporting mental health issues doesn’t surprise Joy Tanimura Winquist, a private-practice therapist in Kaimukī. She left nonprofit and government settings to open Pūlama Counseling in 2021, and her appointment book quickly filled up. She treats mostly children and teens, and particularly girls. Adolescence, of course, is a time of intense emotions, filled with crushes, rivalries, slights and elation. Feeling anxious or sad is not inherently bad, says Winquist. “But clinical anxiety or clinical depression, that is when we’ve gotten a little outside, gotten dysregulated, something feels too big, too hard in those moments.” In her practice she sees a lot of clinical anxiety and depression, as well as undiagnosed ADHD, which can lead to academic struggles and self-criticism. “Then there’s the continued pressure of getting good grades and, unfortunately, with the high schoolers, a lot of them have had some type of negative sexual encounter,” says Winquist. Many of her clients with anxiety have been raised in households full of worry – they absorb the anxiety of their parents, which was only intensified by the pandemic. “The grown-ups were so anxious, it was hard not to take it on,” Winquist says. “The kids assume it’s

because they’re defective,” a narrative that can lead to depression. Psychologist Gerald Brouwers, Ph.D., agrees that parents are contributing factors. “One thing I like to say is that anxiety is a contagious disease,” he says. “It’s often transmitted in families, so if you’ve spent a year and a half at home with mom and dad, that can mean their stress also impacts the kid’s stress.” Brouwers brings decades of experience as a psychologist to his busy private practice in Mānoa. About 40% of his client base are teenagers. Many of them attend surrounding private and public schools and are part of a more affluent Island demographic. Like Winquist, he sees many kids with anxiety, depression and ADHD, and he helps them recognize the stressors in their lives and find ways to relieve stress or to change their perceptions of why “everything feels so horrible.” Some of those feelings come from pressure to achieve. “Parents and schools communicate expectations in a lot of ways,” Brouwers says. “If you’re on the downside of that performance scale, then you get more anxious because you’re falling farther behind. It’s not a good place to be. It contributes to depression and people feeling overwhelmed and helpless.” Ultimately, he’s not especially worried about young people, and takes the long view that comes from knowing that the disruptions of adolescence usually subside with maturity. He says adults’ concerns about younger generations are as old as Aristotle, who wrote in the fourth century B.C. that all of their mistakes are due to excess and vehemence and their neglect of the maxim, never go to extremes. But the long view can be hard to absorb when you’re deep in the social dramas and academic demands of many of Honolulu’s public and private schools – the latter which enroll about 8,000 high schoolers, according to 2021-2022 data from the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools. One student, for example, is a striking, articulate high schooler who wins state awards and has loving parents. From the outside, her life looks enviable, laid out like stepping stones on the path to an ideal adulthood: college on the mainland, graduate school, rewarding job, family. But in her mid-teen years, that’s not how she sees it. The pressures of her private school can make her sad and anxious, says her father, and she’s often holed away in her bedroom in the evenings and on weekends. It gets so bad that she sometimes can’t keep food down, and her thin frame can take on a gaunt cast. She lashes out at him frequently. Despite her achievements, she never meets her own expectations. She compares herself to an older sibling and is determined to follow the same career path, whether it suits her or not. (Names and identifying information have been removed at the parents’ request.) H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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“THE GROWN-UPS WERE SO ANXIOUS, IT WAS HARD (FOR THEIR CHILDREN) NOT TO TAKE IT ON.” JOY TANIMURA WINQUIST, THERAPIST AND OWNER OF PŪLAMA COUNSELING

Another teen from Honolulu comes from a similarly caring and comfortable home. He graduated from high school with exceptionally high test scores and rare technical gifts. But after a year of college in a northern mainland campus, the remoteness and scarcity of light – with the winter sun setting in the late afternoon and dense clouds creating a funereal gloom – have been hard to adjust to. Some older difficulties persist as well, including trouble reading social cues and anxiety about what the future holds and how to deal with uncertainty. He tells his mother that three more years there feels impossible.

ANXIETY IN COLLEGE At UH Mānoa, the Counseling and Student Development Center gives many students their first chance to independently access mental health services, without getting a bill or fielding questions from parents. Every student gets six online sessions a year, a number capped by the center’s limited pool of mental health professionals. Students in crisis, however, get immediate interventions, and those with more extensive needs are given referrals, though a shortage of providers can make it hard to find openings. The past year has been busy, says psychologist Alexander Khaddouma, Ph.D., a coordinator of clinical services. The UH center sees the same trends as mainland campuses, with the rates of anxiety and depression continually creeping up. A 2022 report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health shows that 65% of students visiting a campus counseling center in the 2021-2022 school year had anxiety – up 10% from a decade ago. About 46% had depression, which is slightly more than 10 years ago.

Generalized anxiety is the most common concern. A frequent scenario, says Khaddouma, is a student who feels sad, unmotivated, constantly fatigued and is skipping classes. “What brought them in is that they’re worried about their academic functioning, but really it brings up this mood issue they’ve been struggling with.” Others come to the UH center with social anxiety. “They’re nervous around other people, having agitated thoughts where you can’t clear your mind and stay calm,” he says. The steepest 12-year increase was among people with social anxiety, according to the national collegiate report, particularly the concern that “others do not like me.” The report speculates that isolation, social media comparisons and weak social skills – stunted by the pandemic – could be driving the increases. Khaddouma says he sees all of those factors in the students he tries to help, on top of the heightened academic demands, stresses of college and lingering trauma from the past several years. Some of the students’ anxiety is in response to turmoil in the world, whether it’s political instability, gun violence or eroding rights. For young adults, in particular, distress about the state of the nation is far from trivial: 53% of people ages 18 to 34 – the youngest group surveyed – said it made them consider moving to a different country, as did 59% of LGBTQ+ respondents, according to the Stress in America 2022 report from the American Psychological Association. And there’s another issue that nearly everyone interviewed mentioned, which is simply the visibility of mental health issues today and the willingness of young people to talk about them. “People are using a more therapy-focused language on social media. They’re using words like anxiety and trauma and depression,” says Khaddouma. “Is that a good thing, or does it mean we’re watering down these pretty serious conditions that really affect people?” he asks. “My experience has been that it’s good for folks to have the language to describe how they feel.”

PUBLIC SCHOOLS TAKE ACTION Hawai‘i’s public schools have spent the past year actively trying to boost students’ well-being, and many behavioral health professionals hope the new attention on mental health will spur lasting change. “We don’t want mental health to go back into the background again,” says Ayada Bonilla, a schoolbased behavioral health educational specialist in the Office of Student Support Services of the state Department of Education. Across the school system, the department has rolled out mental health screenings and is monitoring students, and it’s trained faculty and staff to spot warning H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

signs – for example, students who are isolating themselves or whose grades have suddenly dropped. These “internalizers” can be harder to identify than the “externalizers” who are regularly sent to see counselors and administrators, says Bonilla. “We want a larger network of individuals who are having their eyes on the students,” she says, stressing that when students have someone they trust at school, they’re more likely to open up and share their worries. “The biggest screener that we have is day-to-day boots on the ground of adults building solid relationships with students,” agrees Kevin Cochran, a behavioral health specialist at Kohala Middle School on Hawai‘i Island. “And that goes for every adult, from the bus drivers all the way up to the principal.” Students can also turn to a new, and free, online therapy program from Hazel Health, a San Francisco-based telehealth organization that has partnered with Hawai‘i’s public schools. Through the program, students can talk to therapists during the school day or from home. Since launching in April 2022, more than 1,000 students have used this supplemental option, according to Fern Yoshida, student support section administrator in the Office of Student Support Services. While teletherapy has its critics, multiple studies show that it’s effective and that many young people prefer it. Christina Swafford runs individual and group therapy sessions online through the Hawai‘i Center for Children & Families in Kapolei – practical training required for her master’s degree in mental health counseling at UH Hilo. She says telehealth has been an adjustment for her but not for young people. “The kids are just totally acclimated to it. We actually tried to do in-person groups, and there wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm,” says Swafford. For those with limited access to in-person therapy, it can be the only realistic option. Lauren Canton, another behavioral health specialist at Kohala Middle, says: “I’ve found it incredibly helpful, especially being in a rural, isolated area. We don’t have many clinicians in our small community. Parents have to drive 45 38

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minutes to an hour to meet in person with a therapist, so Hazel really helps with accessibility.” The state Department of Education is also rolling out programs targeting social-emotional learning, which focuses on the soft skills that underpin success in school, such as managing emotions, sustaining relationships and setting goals. Many of these programs are funded with federal pandemic dollars that began coming into schools at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. To track progress, students complete a new social-emotional survey three times a year. Results from the winter 2023 self-assessments, completed by 66,500 students in grades 6-12, show tiny strides since the first survey in the fall. But students are starting from a vulnerable position. In most categories – including self-management, grit, growth mindset and sense of belonging – Hawai‘i students are still in the 20th to 39th percentile nationally. (Elementary school students, however, scored significantly higher.) Among individual schools, socialemotional learning takes many forms. At Kailua High School, for instance, behavioral health specialists Shion Pritchard and Cassidy Lasalle opened a wellness room on campus. It’s a soothing space where students can work on self-regulation skills and connect with the support team. The team often helps students with social anxiety, says Pritchard. “They don’t want to get out of their cars when they come to school; they’re just really worried about going outside,” she says. In one example, she helped a student overcome intense fears of interacting with peers and walking through hallways. Through two years of exposure therapy – adding small doses of a feared activity to incrementally build confidence – the student progressed from taking all courses in a single classroom to moving from room to room. In a breakthrough moment, the student recently presented a project to a panel of judges. School counselors and behavioral health staff maintain a core focus on helping students like the one in Kai-

HAWAI‘I GIRLS AND LGBQ STUDENTS STRUGGLE MOST WITH DEPRESSION About twice as many girls and LGBQ* high schoolers experienced periods of sadness and hopelessness compared to boys and straight teens. Data by race/ ethnicity shows high schoolers of Japanese descent have a significantly lower incidence of depression than students in other groups.

*Only sexual orientation was captured; data for transgender and nonbinary students was not gathered.

lua. All told, they work with about 8,000 students with intensive needs in Hawai‘i’s public schools. “We really have this wraparound continuum of care for a large number of students,” explains Bonilla from the Office of Student Support Services. Among the staff are behavioral health specialists, social workers, clinical psychologists and mental health counselors. “I think Hawai‘i is in the vanguard,” says Kohala Middle School’s Cochran. “I don’t know many other states that have clinical people that are in the schools, getting to see students every day. The amount of progress that we can make and the amount of support that we give, being housed in the schools, are immense.”

HELP FOR LGBTQ+ YOUTH At Farrington High School, Cardenas Pintor found more support and accep-

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ALL HIGH SCHOOLERS SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION, 2013-2021

DEPRESSION BY RACE/ ETHNICITY, 2021

35%

30%

25% 2013

2015

DEPRESSION BY GENDER, 2021

2017

2019

GIRLS

23% BOYS

38%

FILIPINO

37%

OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER

35%

NATIVE HAWAIIAN

34%

WHITE

32%

2021

DEPRESSION BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION, 2021

59%

LGB

47%

OTHER

QUESTIONING STRAIGHT

29%

47%

OTHER ASIAN

28%

JAPANESE

20%

Source: Hawai‘i Department of Health, 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

tance than they ever did in Catholic schools. It was a relief to switch to a public school with a supportive Gay-Straight Alliance and caring social workers. “The social workers have always been there for me and other students,” says Pintor. “They are way more accepting than the Catholic schools, and they understand that they need to help those being oppressed. They may have saved a lot more lives than we know about.” It hasn’t been easy being a queer, agender teenager in Kalihi-Pālama. “I was raised around the thought that being gay or transgender would be punishable by God, and I would be sent to hell,” says Pintor. The baggage of that upbringing and the challenges of anxiety and gender dysphoria can weigh heavily, but Pintor is well-informed and proactive in seeking help from Farrington’s LGBTQ+ support group, school personnel and outside mental health professionals. “In Kalihi-Pālama, you experience these ways of thinking,” says Pintor. “People say, ‘You can do it by yourself, you’ll get through it, just carry on.’ But it doesn’t work that way, especially in Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, where everything happens in a community. If one falls, everyone falls.” Pintor says a lot of students at Farrington have

undiagnosed anxiety, depression and suicide ideation, and don’t know how to process their feelings properly. They encourage students to take advantage of school resources and to tap their family’s health insurance plans for therapy. Under Hawai‘i’s consent law, people 14 and older can access mental-health counseling without their parents’ knowledge or consent, and insurers billed by therapists are prevented from sharing that information. But few young people seem to know about these privacy rights. The Trevor Project’s 2022 report on LGBTQ+ youth in Hawai‘i found that 61% said they wanted mental health services but didn’t get them because they were afraid to ask their parents. Among survey respondents, only 19% said they had a high level of support from their families. In Pintor’s family, there’s love but not enough support, they say. “But my parents are willing to learn who I am, and I hope they can understand I am unable to change and be the ‘perfect person’ they want me to be.” Pintor graduates from Farrington in May with both a high school diploma and an associate degree in liberal arts from Honolulu Community College. They’re looking forward to pursuing social work at UH Mānoa H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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in August and taking advantage of the wide-ranging offerings of a large university, such as women’s studies, gender studies and psychology. “I’m very excited to see what the future will hold,” says Pintor.

IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA In the mental health world, social media is a paradox: It’s the primary means that young people connect with one another, yet for some, especially girls, it can also be a nonstop triggering device that follows them everywhere, including their bedrooms. But how much it contributes to escalating rates of anxiety and depression remains an open question. There’s no hard, definitive data about the harms of Instagram, for instance, and expert opinions vary, though the U.S. surgeon general warned of social media’s risks to young people in a May advisory. Teens themselves say social media has a positive or neutral impact on their lives. In a recent Pew Research Center survey of 13- to 17-year-olds, only 9% said social media has a negative effect on them personally, though 32% said it has a negative effect on other teens. Christina Swafford, the UH Hilo master’s student, was 11 when Instagram launched, so she is used to inhabiting a digital space, and the young people she counsels have never known life without social media.

“PEOPLE SAY, ‘YOU CAN DO IT BY YOURSELF, YOU’LL GET THROUGH IT’ … BUT IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY.” CARDENAS PINTOR, FARRINGTON HIGH ‘23, INCOMING STUDENT AT UH MĀNOA

Swafford’s view is that the upsides outweigh the negatives. “There’s a strong sense of community on social media,” she says. “It makes it so accessible to make friends who have shared experiences, or who have been through similar things as you.” She says many teens learn coping skills on social media. Others are more ambivalent. Winquist, the private-practice therapist in Kaimukī, sees downsides but says there’s no going back. Social media was kids’ lifeline while classrooms were closed, and being online all day was encouraged by adults, she says. She advises parents to find balance when they’re setting limits. At Child & Family Service, President and CEO Karen Tan is the oldest of the three women interviewed on this topic. She’s spent the past 18 years working at the social-services nonprofit based in ‘Ewa Beach, which helps about 15,000 people across the Islands. With three daughters in college and a team of 400 employees sharing stories from the field, she’s alarmed by social media’s impact. Since Tan got her master’s degree from UH Mānoa in 1994 and began working professionally in Hawai‘i, she’s seen a dramatic change in the severity of issues young people face, including elevated levels of anxiety and depression, self-esteem issues and suicide ideation. She says social media is a major contributor as it adds pressure to portray yourself as perfect and shreds any sense of privacy. “When we were in school, we would go home and the only people who came to our home were people we wanted there. Home was a safe place,” she says. Social media wrecks that security with its stream of potentially hurtful images and comments, and it becomes a false measure of worth. “If someone sees how they’re valued based on the number of followers or likes … it’s almost like, I’m good if I get hundreds of likes, I’m bad if no one likes (my post),” says Tan. “Someone who’s already feeling down, it’s just pushing them down further, and they don’t know how to stop it.”

TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE The clinical definition of trauma, says Winquist, is a neurobiological response to a stressful event that impacts a person’s emotional and mental health. To make sense of how stressful events can layer upon each other and create lasting damage, she points to the groundbreaking ACEs study. In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente introduced the concept of adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. These can be fairly commonplace occurrences ranging from divorce and bullying to physical and emotional abuse to growing up amid chronic poverty or discrimination. The pandemic, by definition, is an ACE, says Winquist. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

The more adversity a young person faces – especially without a caring adult at their side – the greater a person’s chances of experiencing toxic stress and trauma, which can manifest as anxiety, depression, behavior issues and poor physical health. Trauma impacts many kids in Hawai‘i. At Child & Family Service’s four domestic violence shelters, Tan says staffers see many young people who have witnessed recurrent violence and been victims of sexual abuse in the home, the latter of which increased significantly during the pandemic, she notes. Jamie Hernandez Armstrong, Ph.D., is the chief psychologist at the state Department of Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, which works with youths with serious emotional and behavioral challenges. She’s treated young people from Hawai‘i who were trafficked in the Islands. “I worked with a number of youth

who suffered horribly as a result of trafficking,” says Armstrong. “It’s interesting to me when people say, ‘Oh, that’s not real, that’s not really happening.’ Well I know it’s happening because I’ve seen it. And it doesn’t just happen to girls.” Even far less severe experiences can impact brain development and impulse control, says Tan, which can make kids punch holes in walls or hit peers when they’re frustrated. Tia Roberts Hartsock heads the newly created Office of Wellness and Resilience in the governor’s office. In this new role, she’s taking a sweeping view of all the ways that unaddressed stress and trauma are manifesting in the state and creating standards for trauma-informed care. One example is kids who run away from home or school. “Oftentimes a split-second unconscious pathway in your brain triggers a response and makes you punch something or run away,”

she says, noting that Hawai‘i has juvenile runaway laws that criminalize the behavior. “But if we understand trauma, this is often a response to a traumatic event that instantaneously happens.” Rather than punishing behavior issues, trauma-informed care views the behavior through the lens of what a person has experienced, and works with them to recover from the trauma and the dysregulation caused by so much stress. Youths, for example, would be allowed to get out their anger in a safe way, talk through their feelings and slowly learn how to control their impulses. Those strategies are permeating from the therapeutic world into public schools, which are often the front line in mental health care. At Kohala Middle School, behavioral health specialist Lauren Canton says they try to approach behavior challenges through education and counseling.

FEW HAWAI‘I YOUTHS GET HELP FOR DEPRESSION Only a small fraction of youths ages 12-17 get any mental health treatment for major depressive symptoms. Here’s how Hawai‘i stacks up against national averages.

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

2018-2019

2019-2020

32%

42%

44%

29%

25%

50% 40% 30% 20%

38%

41%

40%

10% 0

PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION WHO RECEIVED TREATMENT Source: Mental Health America, State of Mental Health in America reports. The 2023 report reflects 2019-2020 data.

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HAWAI‘I NATIONAL

PART II: THE ROCKY PATH TO BECOMING A MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER

“If a child gets angry in a classroom and throws a chair, we ask ourselves, ‘What’s the reason that this child threw a chair? Do we need to address their trauma history? Do they need to learn emotion-regulation skills? Do they need an anger-management program?’ ” The goal is to reshape behavior and put students on a healthier path for the long term.

BUILDING RESILIENCE Winquist’s first job in social services, after earning her master’s degree at the University of Chicago, was at a residential care home outside the city. “In the mental health world, this is like going to war,” she says. Many of the youths had been kicked out by multiple foster homes and were in the facility of last resort. She loved the work. “That was probably the most amazing job I’ve ever had,” says Winquist, “because that’s where you believe in resilience. And you learn to find it for kids.” One of the boys at the facility was 13 when she met him, and large for his age. She says he rarely spoke and that he carried the emotional scars of a horrific childhood. “But he had these moments when you realized that he just wanted to be a little kid and have fun.” She slowly got him to play basketball with her, to draw together and build Jenga towers, which is a practice she still uses today with her young clients. Once, he stole a package of M&Ms so he could split them with her. “He just wanted to connect with a human, and I realized that people’s humanity is really that basic, and resilience starts when you can build a relationship with a person.” That lesson sticks with her as she guides young people through tumultuous years in a tumultuous age. But like all the professionals Hawaii Business interviewed, she worries that there aren’t enough clinicians in the Islands. The problem runs deep, from overbooked therapists in private practice, to underpaid and understaffed nonprofits and government agencies, to not enough professors to educate the next generation. The shortage is worse on the Neighbor Islands, where mental health needs can also be serious. In 2022, Child & Family Service’s crisis mobile outreach team, which makes personal assessments based on calls to a hotline, saw 50% more Hilo youths than the year before, and 33% more in Kona. Charmaine Higa-McMillan, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who runs the master’s program in mental health counseling at UH Hilo, says the difficulty finding mental health care can have long-term consequences. “I’m really worried about the average child who may not have supportive families and may be suffering in silence,” she says. “That, combined with access problems, really concerns me for the future and what it’s going to be like for them as they become young adults.”

College graduates face formidable training requirements and few positions that pay, while experienced providers struggle to keep pace with Hawai‘i’s high cost of living

hen someone asks Charmaine Higa-McMillan, Ph.D., for a recommendation for a therapist, she gives them 10. That’s not so they can vet and choose, but because more possibilities mean a better chance to find someone who is taking new clients. For one thing, mental health needs far outstrip the supply of providers. Even physicians are scrambling to find them for their patients. Seventy-eight percent of doctors in Hawai‘i say mental health providers are the most-needed specialty, followed by psychiatrists at 73%, according to the 2022 Access to Care report. The shortage is particularly acute on Neighbor Islands. Another factor driving the shortage is the sheer time and effort involved to become a certified therapist. The most arduous path is to earn a doctoral degree in psychology or go to medical school for psychiatry. Others take the master-degree route in fields such as social work or mental health counseling. From there, it can take years of training under supervision and passing state exams to get licensed. Higa-McMillan is program director of the graduate counseling psychology program at UH Hilo. The program accepts just 20 master’s students a year, about three-quarters from Hawai‘i. The students are required to live in the Islands but take classes online. Students pay full tuition – $5,868 per semester for Hawai‘i residents, $13,284 for nonresidents – as the doctoral-level psychology program at UH Mānoa gets the graduate-assistant jobs and tuition waivers, says Higa-McMillan. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

IS IT DEPRESSION OR JUST MOODINESS? Everyone experiences ups and downs, but persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness can negatively affect a teen’s life. Here are signs that it might be depression: • Feeling sad, anxious, worthless or empty • Lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed • Easily frustrated or angry • Withdrawn from friends and family • Grades have dropped • Eating or sleeping habits have changed • Fatigue or memory loss • Thoughts of suicide or self-harm Source: National Institute of Mental Health, teen depression fact sheet.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach Hawai‘i CARES 988.

Despite that, the UH Hilo program receives lots of applicants and would like to expand to 30 students, says Higa-McMillan, but the department is down by two positions. Like the rest of the university system, hiring requires special permission, and a request is in for funding to fill the jobs and create an additional faculty position. One of Higa-McMillan’s current students is Christina Swafford, who is finishing the two-year master’s program in clinical mental health counseling. In the practical portion of the program, she was placed in a temporary paid position offering online counseling at the 44

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Hawai‘i Center for Children & Families, a group practice in Kapolei. Swafford loves the job and the young people she counsels, but when she graduates in May she has to leave it behind. With just a master’s degree, this private-practice employer she interned with can’t bill private insurers for reimbursement for her services. Insurers will only pay after Swafford has completed 3,000 hours of supervised professional work and been certified as a licensed mental health counselor. That’s a year and a half of full-time work. (House Bill 1300, which didn’t pass at this year’s state Legislature, would have allowed insurance reimbursements for mental health services provided by a supervised intern, as well as for people with some provisional licenses.) Her next job, then, needs to be a nonprofit or public-sector job that doesn’t rely on private-insurance reimbursements to stay afloat. The other alternative is charging out-of-pocket fees, which many people can’t or won’t pay, or paying a provider to supervise her work. Swafford is stuck in limbo, hoping for one of the few paid positions to complete her 3,000 hours of supervised experience, but knowing that she might have to return to Oregon, where she grew up, or move somewhere else.

NONPROFITS ARE UNDERFUNDED If she’s lucky, Swafford might land a paid postgraduate position at Child & Family Service, which is near the employer she had as a graduate student. This nonprofit organization in ‘Ewa Beach has been in operation since 1899 and works with vulnerable communities across the Islands. Swafford would be thrilled with that. But after completing her lengthy training, she would face the same dilemma that many therapists and teachers and social workers face: low pay, made worse by the exorbitant cost of living and burden of student-loan debt. Child & Family Service, for example, gets its funding from about 120 state contracts, but the dollar amounts have been flat for ages, says Tan. She and about 50 similar organizations have formed a “true

cost coalition” that is advocating for more state funding to cover rising expenses, particularly salary boosts. “Funding has been stagnant for years and years and years, which is impeding our ability to provide mental health services and why people are leaving and why there’s a backlog,” says Tan. “These are well-educated, highly skilled clinical folks, and we’re paying them what the state contracts allow us to pay them,” she says. “It’s almost like, ‘You chose that career, therefore you must suffer.’ ” Three of her staff recently announced they’ve accepted federal jobs in Hawai‘i, which Tan says are typically positions with the military. “So you’re pulling clinicians away from the greater community in Hawai‘i because the federal government actually pays a livable wage,” says Tan. She notes that her top clinical position only recently cleared the six-figure threshold. While she’s had to cut staffing and reduce services in some areas, she says that “fortunately, we’ve got enough compassionate staff that say they’ll do it even though the salary is so low.” Swafford could also try to find postgraduate experience with state agencies, such as the Department of Education, the Department of Health or Child Welfare Services. But for many, that turns into a short-term option. Based on anecdotes from the field, Higa-McMillan thinks that people often jump ship when their training hours are completed and license secured. “Once they get licensed, then they can leave and start billing private insurance to get paid a higher rate,” she says. Reimbursements from the federal Medicaid plan are significantly lower, making it harder to accept many low-income Med-Quest patients in Hawai‘i and harder for patients to find help.

STAFFING PROBLEMS At the state Department of Health’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, Jamie Hernandez Armstrong, Ph.D., the chief psychologist, cites struggles with staffing and finding outside providers. The Department of Health overall had a

24% job vacancy rate as of April. Armstrong’s division works with youths with severe mental health challenges, including early-onset psychosis. Almost half of her clients are Native Hawaiian. Her team of about a dozen psychologists and a handful of psychiatrists works at family guidance centers on O‘ahu, Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, treating young people directly and helping to connect them with the appropriate services. Some of the providers they contract with include Child & Family Service, Catholic Charities of Hawai‘i, Hale Kipa, Aloha House and the Bobby Benson Center. But outside providers are stretched thin and face staffing problems of their own. “Prior to the start of the pandemic, we were serving around 2,500 kids at a time, and now we’re serving closer to half those numbers,” says Armstrong. “Part of the struggle is that there’s a lack of mental health providers, and sometimes kids are waiting for a long time.” Another reason she thinks her division can’t find outside providers is that many are leaving intensive, in-person therapeutic environments for telehealth. Telehealth, she says, doesn’t work for her clients, who, at the lowest level of care, see a therapist for multiple hours a week in their homes. Tan confirms that, as a licensed clinical social worker, she receives a barrage of telehealth offers. “I get emails all

“(STATE) FUNDING HAS BEEN STAGNANT FOR YEARS AND YEARS … IMPEDING OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.” KAREN TAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHILD & FAMILY SERVICE

the time saying, ‘Come work for us. You’ll make $110,000 a year doing online counseling.’ I can imagine someone saying, ‘I think I’m going to go do that.’ ” Other providers stay in their state positions but take second jobs to make ends meet. “I know a lot of clinicians who work for the government and they also work in private practice, which is just wild to me,” says Swafford. “For many people going into the field, the plan was to have just one career.” At Kaiser Permanente’s Waipi‘o clinic on O‘ahu, Andrea Kumura, a licensed clinical social worker who works primarily with children and teens, says her clinic has been short-staffed for a decade, even as demand for services has spiked. When kids returned to school, it triggered a wave of social anxiety and academic stress after so many months online, she says. Kumura has 85 clients and sees 27 of them each week. It takes two to three months to schedule an initial appointment, and follow-up appointments take six to eight weeks to schedule. For regular patients who need twice-monthly visits, appointments have to be made two months in advance. “It’s nearly impossible for teens to get weekly appointments, which is the frequency that many need,” she says. Kumura was on the picket line during a 172-day strike that ended in February, which is considered the longest work stoppage of mental health care workers in U.S. history. She’s glad to see many of her patients again, and happy that more employees are being hired. But she says Kaiser is still filling the vacant positions of people who left permanently, and her caseload would need to be halved to give young people the attention they need.

PRIORITIZING MENTAL HEALTH Hawai‘i’s priorities are often misplaced, says Tan, and the worsening state of mental health among its young people is a testament to that. “I’m a firm believer that where you spend your money is where your value is,” she says. With years of experience in social services, she views many mental health issues as byproducts of poverty and family struggles. Communities in distress create young people in distress, she says. Tan wants to see more investment in preventive “upstream” services before crises erupt, and higher pay so that the field attracts and retains the best people. And given the huge number of young people who struggle with anxiety, depression and suicide ideation, the usual excuses fall flat. “Someone will always say, ‘There’s so many demanding needs,’ ” says Tan. “Well, tell me one person whose child is suicidal who would say, ‘Go fill that pothole. That’s much more important than my youth.’ ” H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

P R O T E C T I O N S

Tensions Between Renters and Landlords Hawai‘i’s shortage of affordable housing and the huge gulf between local incomes and the cost of housing are deepening conﬂicts between landlords and tenants. Here’s what both sides say are some solutions. BY NO E L L E FUJII- OR ID E

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ONOLULU RENTER NIKHIL KHURANA says he has spent much

of his free time the last two years knocking on hundreds of doors to talk with and organize tenants. The most common stories he’s heard? Rent is too expensive, even for multiple jobholders; maintenance issues are going unaddressed by landlords; and tenants aren’t getting back their security deposits after their leases end. “When we’re talking about this tension between tenants and landlords, from my perspective it’s very simple: Everyone deserves to be housed, and landlords or people profiting is not more important than that. Whether that puts us at odds or not, that’s the basis where I seek to change things from where the system is currently at,” says Khurana. He is a member of the Honolulu Tenants Union, but said he was talking to Hawaii Business Magazine as an individual, not as a representative of the organization. In 2013, renters made up nearly 44% of households in Hawai‘i, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2021, only 37% were renters. What is happening to more of those renters is ominous: In 2021, 58% of renter households were cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30% of their incomes on rent. That’s a 5 percentage point increase from 2019. Home rentals and the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants are governed by Hawai‘i’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Code. Renters and tenant advocates say they want beefed up tenant protections. Those advocates say the code lacks key policies needed in Hawai‘i’s tight housing market, such as longer notice periods before someone can be evicted, caps on yearly rent increases and limits on the reasons landlords can evict tenants. On the other side of the issue is Russell Kyono, whose company, Kauai Rentals and Real Estate, manages about 400 rental units. “When you talk about tenant rights, I think the pendulum in the state has always been towards the tenant, and it’s swinging more strongly in favor of tenants now than before,” he says.

ILLUSTRATION: MALLORY ADAMS-NAKAMURA, PHOTO: COURTESY OF NIKHIL KHURANA

T E N A N T

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ABBEY SEITZ

worry about those landlords who they Other landlords and property manever units they can get, even if it means say exploit the laws, find loopholes or agers interviewed by Hawaii Business the unit is in poor condition, or they must are ignorant of the rules. say tenants and landlords have the same remain in homes despite bad relationSeitz says some mom-and-pop landgoal: to keep people housed. And they say ships with their landlords. lords have limited knowledge and trainthat some of the proposals to deal with Chevelle Davis, a renter under a ing about landlord expectations and laws. Hawai‘i’s housing crisis corporate landlord on A Hawai‘i real estate license is required would help both parties, O‘ahu and a member to buy, sell, lease and manage property; such as rent relief payof the Hawai‘i Housing education on the landlord-tenant code ments from the governAffordability Coalition, and fair housing laws are part of the ment and mediation prosays renters also don’t state’s pre-license curriculum. But indigrams that resolve landwant to be viewed as difviduals who self-manage their properties lord-tenant disputes. ficult tenants simply for are not required to be licensed. But those proposals asking their landlords The Office of Consumer Protection don’t address the main for things they know in the state Department of Commerce problem: For many peothey have a right to, such and Consumer Affairs investigates nonliple, local wages do not as electric-meter readcensed professions on behalf of consumcover the high cost of ings to explain the high Nikhil Khurana ers. The OCP conducted 37 investigahousing and the overall cost of their utility bills. tions related to landlord-tenant matters cost of living in Hawai‘i – “It’s almost like you’re from 2020 through 2022. Many involved plus there aren’t nearly enough affordable retaliated against for knowing your allegations involving the state statute homes for all the people who live here. rights,” she says. that prohibited rent increases and cerNonetheless, without a vast transformaRetaliatory rent hikes and evictain lease terminations when Hawai‘i tion in wages, prices and home developtions are prohibited by the state’s landwas under a Covid state of emergency. ment in Hawai‘i, partial changes in landlord-tenant code, but tenant attorneys Landlords could only give a 45-day terlord-tenant relations seem to be the only say the fear of retaliation is still prevalent. mination notice to a realistic possibilities for now. “For a lot of people, month-to-month tenant the affordable apartments if the unit was sold or are those old, a-lot-ofPOWER DYNAMICS if the landlord or an times-in-disrepair, falling immediate family memdown units, and people In Hawai‘i, only 89 rental homes are ber of the landlord was are terrified to complain,” affordable and available for every 100 moving in. says Deja Ostrowski, an renter households that live on 100% Some investigations attorney with the Medof the area median income or less, were dropped due to ical-Legal Partnership according to a 2021 report by the insufficient evidence or for Children in Hawai‘i. National Low Income Housing Coalition were passed on to other “Because they’re worried (tinyurl.com/3f7yyuyx). agencies with jurisdicthat as soon as they comGo further down the income ladder tion. Other times, OCP plain, they’ll get a 45-day and the numbers are much worse: There Abbey Seitz sent warning or advisory notice to leave. Because are only 44 affordable and available letters. Sasi Faildo, supervising investiour market is so tight, someone else will units for every 100 renter households gator with the office, says a warning letchoose to live in there and deal with whatwith incomes at or below 50% AMI. ter might tell a landlord to retract a rent ever the conditions of the unit is.” Hawai‘i needs 37,372 more housing units increase. Several cases were also referred Nick Severson, managing attorney for renters in that income group, accordto an OCP enforcement attorney for furfor Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i’s housing to the coalition’s report. ther analysis. Under state law, the office ing and consumer unit, says the fear Abbey Seitz is a renter, member of the can sue a landlord during a declared state of retaliation is more common on the Hawai‘i Housing Affordability Coalition of emergency but not under the normal Neighbor Islands because rental comand owner of an urban planning consullandlord-tenant code. munities there are smaller and tenants tancy business. She is also an author of “During a state of emergency, Section don’t want to risk getting blacklisted recent reports on Hawai‘i’s Covid pre-lit127A-30 makes violations of the statuwhen they need to rent another place. igation mediation program and other tory rent-freeze and eviction moratorium tenant protections. into unfair or deceptive acts or practices She says Hawai‘i’s housing shortage EDUCATION AND INVESTIGATIONS (UDAPs),” an OCP spokesman wrote in an and prevalence of mom-and-pop landemail. “Although OCP may investigate dislords skew the power dynamics between Many Hawai‘i landlords will address putes under HRS section 521-77, OCP does renters and landlords. Too few homes issues as soon as their tenants alert not file lawsuits on behalf of tenants under mean renters are forced to take whatthem, but renters and tenant advocates H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

T E N A N T

HOW HAWAI‘I’S TENANT PROTECTIONS COMPARE TO OTHER STATES Freddie Mac earlier this year released a white paper (tinyurl.com/tenantprot) on tenant protections across the country. While we provide context as to what other states’ mandates look like and whether there are common requirements, this table does not cover all the details. In addition, some states, like California, have locallevel laws that provide more tenant protections. This table only focuses on the state-level laws. The District of Columbia and Guam are included as states.

*The word “cure” is often used in eviction notices. Tenants who violate a condition of their rental agreement are usually given a set time in which to correct the violation, or “cure” it. If the violation is not cured, the eviction can proceed.

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P R O T E C T I O N S

HAWAI‘I

Prohibit landlords from using certain information to screen tenants

Prohibit source of income discrimination

YES

Statewide cap on rent or rent increases

Required notice of rent increases

Month-to-month: 45 days’ notice Less than month-to-month: 15 days’ notice

Required grace period before charging late fees

Maximum late rent fee

Maximum security deposit

1 month’s rent

Time limit for return of security deposit

14 DAYS

Required accounting of security deposit

YES

Requirements around habitability of multifamily properties

YES

Prohibit landlord retaliation

YES

Required notice of failure to pay rent and/or a right to cure* before beginning eviction process

Must cure 5 days from notice

Required notice of illegal/bad acts and/or a right to cure before beginning eviction process

Required notice of other lease violations and/or a right to cure before beginning eviction process

Must cure 10 days from notice

Limited reasons why landlord can evict tenant

Right to counsel for an eviction proceeding

Required diversion program before eviction filing

NUMBER OF STATES WITH MANDATE (OUT OF 52)

REQUIREMENTS IN OTHER STATES AND MOST COMMON (IF APPLICABLE)

Prohibit/restrict use of certain criminal histories

CA: 5% plus percentage change in cost of living. DC: 10% for most tenants, 5% if tenants are elderly/disabled. OR: 7% plus 12-month average change in CPI (newly constructed units exempt 15 years)

Yearlong lease: 30 -- 90 days. Month-to-month lease: 15 -- 90 days. Most common: 30 days.

2 -- 30 days . Most common: 5 days.

4% - 10%

1 -- 3 months of rent. Most common: 1 month.

10 -- 60 days after lease termination. Most common: 30 days.

44 require notice. 40 require right to cure.

Must cure immediately to 30 days

Tenants generally do not have right to cure, but 30 states require notice to quit and vacate their unit.

1 -- 30 days to vacate

45 require notice. 33 require notice and right to cure.

Most common: Must cure 14 days from notice

Allowable reasons vary

WA, MD, CT: available only to tenants under certain income level

Tennessee requires that landlords and tenants participate in mediation

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

the Landlord-Tenant Code.” Kyono, who manages properties on Kaua‘i, says he thinks more education would be helpful for mom-and-pop landlords: “When you talk about tenant rights, it’s more on the mom and pops who don’t know the laws.” MORE RIGHTS WANTED

Once rich in farmland and pineapple plantations, Launani Valley, Whitmore Village and Wahiawā are now home to more working-class communities. State Rep. Amy Perruso says many Wahiawā renters can’t afford increasing rents, which are often set on how much active-duty military members receive for their basic housing allowances. Soldiers based at nearby Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield receive housing allowances ranging from $2,313 to $4,608 a month, depending on their ranks and number of dependents. “That far exceeds what our average community member can afford, and I think that’s kind of where I see most of what I would consider to be rent gouging happening,” she says. “It’s kind of just baked into what we see happening with the housing market.” According to UH’s Economic Research Organization, statewide median asking rents on Craigslist were up 26% in February 2023 compared with February 2021, and 22% on O‘ahu. Perruso says Hawai‘i focuses too much on housing for speculation and commodification. She introduced proposals this past session to cap yearly rent increases to 2% plus any rise in the cost of living, limit the reasons that landlords can evict tenants, and require longer notice periods for rent increases or to terminate rental agreements. Other proposals in the Senate aimed to provide remedies for retaliatory evictions and set a tenant’s liability for rent if their unit has significant habitability issues. “I think that the lack of tenant protections actually exacerbates the housing crisis because it enables more rapid displacement,” says Tina Grandinetti, Perruso’s office manager. “So, for people who are looking to speculate off property, they’re more able to do so, and so 50

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P R O T E C T I O N S

• Clear and fair leases. our housing market continues to become • Education, enforcement and more and more skewed in that purpose.” enhancement of renter rights. Perruso’s proposals and the Senate • The right to organize. bills died during the legislative session. • Eviction safeguards and relief. Perruso says she plans to continue pushThe White House says those requireing for her proposals. ments would create “a shared baseline for Some tenant advocates say extendfairness for renters.” ing notice periods for intent to termiKristen Alice, a renter and director of nate a rental agreement would be a game community relations at Hope Services, a changer. Currently, landlords are not homeless service provider in Hilo, says required to notify fixed-term renters of the White House blueprint shows there’s their intent to terminate once the lease traction nationally to protect renters and expires. But if the renter is on a monthensure fairness. to-month lease, the landlord usually must provide 45 days’ notice. A landlord is only required to give a longer notice, 120 days, EVICTION PREVENTION if the rental unit will be demolished or converted to a condo or vacation rental. Evictions have damaging human and “A 45-day notice, for someone who’s economic costs, according to a March working, that usually means at maxi2023 report (tinyurl.com/56f7e22a) by mum four weekends to go look for a new the nonprofit Hawai‘i Budget and Polplace,” Ostrowski says. “Yeah, that’s not icy Center. Forced moves often involve enough time in our market.” She says disruptions to renters’ schooling and 90-day notices would be a good start, employment and can cause anxiety and especially as renters face increasing comdepression, all of which can make it petition from vacation rentals and people harder for renters to find new housing. moving to the Islands. The report estimated that 2,500 evicFernando Cosio, an attorney at Meditions would cost Hawai‘i about $30.7 milcal-Legal Partnership, says there’s a false lion a year from increased spending on narrative among some safety net services like landlords and property emergency shelters, medmanagers that renters ical care, foster care and can get immediate housjuvenile delinquency. ing after their leases are In 2018, 2,500 individuterminated, simply by als experienced eviction checking into a homein the Islands. Among its less shelter. Many don’t recommendations were realize that shelters are for Hawai‘i to create perfull and that specific crimanent rent relief and teria must be met to get pre-litigation mediation a spot. Displaced rentprograms modeled after ers, he says, often end up lessons learned from Richard Yanagi doubling up with a famCovid-era efforts. ily member or friend, which jeopardizes According to the report, the four those people’s leases. county emergency rental assistance pro“There’s not too many options,” he grams distributed $265 million to 29,132 says. “I think by giving more time you renter households over two years. A pergive people more opportunity to plan, manent rent relief program that provides you know, accordingly to the best that 2,500 individuals with $3,000 per year in they can.” support would cost the state $7.5 million In January, the White House pubannually and result in over $23 million in lished a blueprint for a renter’s bill of new safety net savings each year. rights (tinyurl.com/yr2wvj5a), outlining Lyons Law attorney Naomi Iwabufive things that tenants need: chi says a permanent rent relief program • Safe, quality, accessible and affordwould be a win-win for landlords and able housing. tenants because they have the same goal

PHOTO: COURTESY OF RICHARD YANAGI

T E N A N T

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHRISTYL NAGAO

of keeping tenants in their units. She represents property managers for affordable rentals and says many requests for her assistance don’t arrive until a tenant is five or six months behind on rent. Christyl Nagao, a property manager and landlord on Kaua‘i, agrees that permanent rent relief would be helpful, but says there should also be emergency mortgage relief for landlords when renters don’t pay their rent.

cussed House Bill 1439, which died but would have created two-year emergency rent relief and pre-litigation mediation pilot programs. It also would have extended the period for a notice of termination of the rental agreement from five business days to 10 calendar days. Some landlords argue this type of program isn’t necessary. Kyono, the landlord and property manager on Kaua‘i, says it would just prolong the eviction process and increase costs to MEDIATED DISPUTES landlords. Kaua‘i judges have also been requirMediation is a coming that landlords and mon way to try to pretenants go to mediation vent evictions. Between after eviction actions are August 2021 and August Christyl Nagao filed, he says. 2022, the state’s Act 57 According to an emailed statement extended the notice period to termifrom the Hawai‘i State Judiciary, as it nate a lease for nonpayment of rent works now presiding judges assess the from five business days to 15 calendar circumstances of each case and deterdays and required landlords and tenmine whether mediation is appropriate. ants to participate in free mediation “Judges statewide have consistently before landlords file for summary posexpressed support for mandating medisession in the courts. ation before a rent-related case is filed in The program ran at the same time as court, particularly when complemented the counties’ Covid rent relief programs. by funding for pre-filing mediation serOf 4,078 mediation cases opened statevices and rent relief,” the Judiciary wide, 1,660 were actually mediated. Of wrote, adding that it is supportive of legthose, agreements were reached 85% of islation that would create a similar prothe time, according to the Hawai‘i Budgram to the now-expired Act 57. get and Policy Center report. An October 2022 report (tinyurl. After initial frustration with closed com/2dn6sv54) by the Hawai‘i Applecourts and eviction delays, many landseed Center for Law and Economic lords and property managers saw mediJustice compared the impacts of Act ation under Act 57 as another opportu57 mediation to the pre-Covid medianity to try to resolve issues, says Richard tion that occurred after an eviction was Yanagi, an attorney who represents filed in court. It found that, while Act landlords and property managers. His 57 mediation resulted in 85% of tenclients and their tenants were often able ants being able to stay in their homes, to work out payment plans. Other times, only 11% of pre-Covid mediations he says, the mediation efforts resulted ended that way. in tenants being emotionally ready to Yanagi, the attorney who represents accept that they had to move out. landlords and property managers, says Ostrowski of the Medical-Legal landlords don’t want to kick out tenants Partnership in Hawai‘i says Act 57 was because they lose revenue until they find important because it required mediaanother renter. But he adds that propostion before the court filing, thus preals to create mediation and rent relief venting a tenant from having an eviction programs aren’t enough to address the on record. The longer notice period also underlying issue of people’s wages being allowed tenants time to talk to service too low to pay rent, which is exacerbated providers about rental assistance. by the rising cost of living and the state’s Lawmakers this past session dis-

housing shortage. He says these are issues that legislators and other government leaders need to address. PROVIDING HOMES

Nagao has been a landlord for about six years. All her units are part of Kaua‘i County’s affordable long-term rental program. Through the program, the tax rate on her properties is lowered and in exchange, she offers rents based on what households earning 90% or less of the area median income can afford. She says she enjoys being able to help families who may have been in bad situations prior and give them safe, stable places to stay so that, hopefully, they can start saving for their own goals. Her tenants are thankful, Nagao says, and she appreciates how her tenants take care of her properties because purchasing them wasn’t easy. Her firm, Taba Realty, provides property management for almost 300 rental units. She says many of the unit owners are second-, third- and fourth-generation Kaua‘i residents. Some, she says, have moved to more affordable places on the mainland and hope to return one day. She says it’s tough being a landlord because owners’ bills are increasing. Fewer than 60 of the units in her property management portfolio participate in the county’s affordable rental program because it’s hard to make the lower rents pencil out. Given that Hawai‘i wages are low compared to the cost of housing, her firm generally gives tenants a five-day grace period for late rent. Hawai‘i law does not require a grace period, but 16 other states do. According to a February 2023 report (tinyurl.com/tenantprot) by Freddie Mac on state landlord-tenant acts, the most common state-mandated grace period is five days; the longest is 30 days. Ostrowski says providing a grace period is a huge help to tenants, especially if they use benefits to help pay their rents. Many of her clients at the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawai‘i rely on Social Security or Temporary Assistance for Needy FamH AWA I I B U S I N ES S

T E N A N T

P R O T E C T I O N S

CALLS TO HAWAI‘I’S L ANDLORD -TENANT CENTER The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Landlord/Tenant Information Center provides information about Hawai‘i’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Code. The center can be reached by calling 808-586-2634 and is open from 8 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays, except state holidays. Below are the number of calls the center received over the last five calendar years and the most common subjects discussed. Most of the callers are tenants, landlords and property managers, but the center sometimes receives questions from service providers and friends and family of tenants and landlords.

YEAR

2018

TOTAL CALLS RECEIVED

10,180

3,898

LANDLORD/ PROPERTY MANAGER

2,288

OTHER

MOST CALLED ABOUT

3,994

Termination/ Eviction Security Deposit Repair

2019

9,007

3,283

2,101

3,623

Termination/ Eviction Security Deposit Repair

2020

10,502

4,596

5,054

852

Termination/ Eviction Failure to Pay Rent

2021

7,817

3,708

3,569

540

Covid-Related Termination/ Eviction

225

Covid-Related Termination/ Eviction Security Deposit

2022

5,694

Source: Hawai‘i Office of Consumer Protection 52

TENANT

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3,422

2,047

ilies, and they might not know when paperwork is filed too late for them to receive their benefits payments on time. Kyono says his company used to provide a 10-day grace period but stopped when it saw that it would just push back the date that tenants would pay. Other landlords are giving tenants longer notices to vacate than required by state law. In Mō‘ili‘ili, Kobayashi Group told 124 renter households at the Kapi‘olani Village Apartments in October last year that they would need to vacate by September 2023. The landlord plans to demolish the walk-up apartments and build a 43-story condominium. Tenants will be provided with two months’ free rent, plus relocation support by transition teams from Cirrus Asset Management and Hawaiian Community Assets, wrote Alana Kobayashi Pakkala, executive VP and managing partner of Kobayashi Group, in an emailed statement. “As we move forward to develop Kuilei Place, we remain committed to working openly with the community and supporting impacted residents,” she wrote. Existing renters pay between $1,400 and $1,800 in monthly rent. They made headlines this spring for questioning why they’re being forced out to make way for moderate-income homebuyers. The $619 million Kuilei Place received about $12 million in waived permit fees and about $40 million in zoning variances through a state program that allows expedited review in exchange for affordable units. Kobayashi Pakkala wrote that 4,000 Hawai‘i residents are active in Kuilei Place’s application process, which she says speaks to the need for affordable and workforce housing. KNOWLEDGE OF RENTERS’ RIGHTS

Khurana, the Honolulu renter, says he got involved with the Honolulu Tenants Union after renting a Kalihi house with a damaged roof. He and his roommates complained multiple times to their landlord, who made temporary fixes. But a heavy rainstorm in 2021 blew off the roof and the house flooded. Khurana says the landlord termi-

“WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TENANT RIGHTS, I THINK THE PENDULUM IN THE STATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TOWARDS THE TENANT, AND IT’S SWINGING MORE STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF TENANTS NOW THAN BEFORE.” —Russell Kyono, Property manager and landlord on Kaua‘i

nated their one-year lease on the Kalihi house after only six months, leaving him and his roommates to move from one Airbnb to another. Eventually, he made his way to the tenants union and found that he liked the idea of organizing renters to collectively address issues. Khurana says the union is a grassroots group of renters that aims to eventually create a citywide organized tenant movement. He says the group’s work is complementary to that of other individuals and organizations that are trying to even out the power imbalance between renters and landlords. He says it would be great to have more tenant protections, but the challenge is enforcing them. “It really is about having a strong presence of organized tenants who can actually fight for each other,” he says. Many renters don’t know the rights they already have. Hope Services, the homeless service provider in Hilo, offers a renter education curriculum as part of its case management. Many of the provider’s clients enter housing with limited to no knowledge of what it takes to be a good renter, says Alice, the Hope Services director of community relations. Staffers help clients understand landlord and tenant rights and teach them how to budget, set goals and maintain household finances. They also talk about ways to keep the home in good condition and how to prepare for emergencies. “Landlords have expressed gratitude for this education because it gives them the peace of mind that their investment is being properly maintained,” Alice says. In fiscal year 2022, Hope Services

provided this curriculum to 297 individuals, all of whom have since moved into permanent housing. The Honolulu Tenants Union also provided renter rights training in 2021 and 2022. And DCCA’s Office of Consumer Protection publishes a landlord-tenant handbook and operates a Landlord/Tenant Information Center that residents can call with questions. The handbook is available online at tinyurl.com/2dryy59p, in regular print, Braille, large print and audio at OCP’s Honolulu office in the King Kalakaua Building at 335 Merchant St. OCP says it offers translation services for phone and in-person meetings between community members and OCP staff. One outgrowth of Act 57 was a partnership between Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i and O‘ahu courts. Legal Aid makes one of its attorneys available to provide limited legal information to tenants who are at court for eviction hearings. According to a 2018 report (tinyurl. com/2p97u3b6) by Lawyers for Equal Justice, only 5% of tenants facing eviction had legal counsel in 2017. The Legal Aid attorney will explain how the hearing works, what will happen if the renter admits or denies that the landlord is entitled to possession of the rental unit, and what to expect going forward. Severson says the program provided information to 433 O‘ahu tenants in 2022. “I think it increases awareness not only day-of but kind of gets gears turning for what their options may be or at least have a sense that they have rights and can reach out to see what those are,” he says. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

Hawaii Business Magazine We are so proud to congratulate our agents on this amazing accomplishment. 2 0 2 3 TO P P E R F O R M E R S

Big Island of Hawaii DAISUKE “KAI” IOH

KRISTINA R. VAUGHN-HAZARD

REBECCA HIRSCH-KELIIHOOMALU

TONY L. PINKERT

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

DONNA DURYEA

MOLLY HARRIS

SHARLY WARD

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

KELLY SHAW

NATE GADDIS

THOMAS L. LORATTA

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

AMY FRAZIER

JIM KARLOVSKY

SEAN AHEARN

REALTOR® Broker

BILLY ECKERT

RONI M. MARLEY

SUSAN L. HIGGINS

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

CHRISTOPHER BARCA

DEBBIE ARAKAKI

ERIC LITTLEJOHN

ROBYN R. CURLETTI

REALTOR® Broker

DAVE FUTCH

DENNIS RUSH

GREG BURNS

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

DEANNA DAVIS

DIANA RODBOURN

JENNIFER L. EDWARDS

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

ALESIA BARNES

JAMES S. CHAN

LISA CAMACHO

SEAN YANO

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

ANNE HOGAN PERRY

JASON CAREY

MALIA SIU

YVONNE JARAMILLO AHEARN

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

REALTOR® Broker

BEN FIEMAN

JASON SUBT

ORION BARELS

REALTOR® Broker

REALTOR® Salesperson

Kauai

Maui

Oahu

#1 BROKERAGE IN THE US * As of 2021, closed sales volume | Source: Real Trends 03/16/2022.* Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

TOP PERFORMERS in

REAL ESTATE 2023

Hawaii Business Magazine identified the leading real estate companies and invited them to submit their Top Performers. This section profiles these Top Performers in real estate, as well as Top Mortgage Companies. Consider these agents and companies when preparing to make your next real estate transaction. Top Performers List P.57

Top Performers Profiles P.61

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate List

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J U LY 2 0 2 3

Top Performers in Real Estate List

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

The Top Performers List Starts Here: AGENT N A ME

Courtney Dennison Mary Beddow Scott Larimer

The Kamm Team

Team Hawaii Team Williams Kim Wong Balisacan

Joshua Mun Margarita Munden Michelle Nouchi Ogata Sandin Chang

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Stacy Loe Paris

Beth Chang Anne Oliver Jordan P. Chow Diane O. Ito Matty Liu Holden Lau

Your Island Homes Team (Myra Yamada & Robynn Roberts)

Tim & Lisa Tengan Scott Adams Colin Lee Jeff Char & Taryn Loo Wendy Tenn

Michelle Bosque Traci Bean Joan Padgett

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY MAUI

Erin Clapper

Diana Rodbourn Dave Futch

Beth Makanani Heidi Bertucci Bridget Townsend Zorah Meyer Jeanne Dunn Amy Wisthoff-Martin Christopher Perry Lewis Nguyen

Chris Barca

Yvonne J Khouri-Morgan

Molly Harris

Tracy Abrams

Tony Pinkert

Kevin Shiraki

Tom Loratta

Annie Mendoza

Rebecca Hirsch-Keliihoomalu

Jenni Lee

Donna Duryea

Jon McCumsey

Kristina Hazard

Deborah Thompson

Kelly Shaw

Kevin Walmsley

Sharly Ward

Karen Bail

Daisuke “Kai” Ioh

Jennifer Rice

CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

Brett K. Aka

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REAL ESTATE ADVANTAGE REALTY (TEAMS)

Mei Pang

Robyn Curletti

Team AK Kauai (Sean Ahearn and Jim Karlovsky)

Susan Borochov

Dennis Rush

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Jaymes Song

Team Kauai Homes and Land

Myra Brandt

Jason Carey

Greg Burns

Deanna Davis - ‘Ohana Real Estate Team

Mary LaVoie-Olson

Jason Subt

Myron Kiriu

Yano Group

Bill Ward

Anne Hogan Perry

Debbie Arakaki

Ahearn Team Oahu

Gretchen Booma

James Chan

Grace M. Koreyasu

Team Siu + Camacho

Stephen Cipres

Ben Fieman

Eric Littlejohn

Alesia Barnes Team

Ruthie Kaminskas

Orion Barels

Jennifer Edwards

Roni Marley

Team Amy and Billy

Team Mikiko Terahira Team Brian C. Lee

FIRM

Nate Gaddis

John Peterson

Sue Jo

Sean Takamori

AGENT N A ME

Team Jackie Hasegawa

Mathew Ngo Rolanda Li Racoma

FIRM

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY (TEAMS)

Bradley McCann Team

KAUA‘I *Names in BOLD are profiled in section

Tracy Allen

Koa Cassady BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES HAWAII REALTY (TEAMS)

Team Wong Hawaii

HAWAI‘I ISLAND

COMPASS (TEAMS)

Etsuko Morita Fields

AGENT N A ME

Miki Kanda BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES HAWAII REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Lectie Altman

MAUI

COMPASS (INDIVIDUALS)

Lea Lee

O‘AHU

COLDWELL BANKER REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Tesha Squires

FIRM

AVATINA LLC

Thomas Wilson

ISLAND KEY:

2O23

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate List

AGENT N A ME

FIRM

Katherine Friedlander

Kepa Kruse

Chris Bannowsky

Tim Mira Steve Cole Sharon Carlson

Patti Kam

Tina Marie Garcia

Stefanie Schomaker

Loren Graham

Stacy Dees Maria White

Lydia Pedro Anna Severson

Juniper Adler

Jim Allison

Rohn Boyd

Denise Nakanishi

Ronnie Margolis

Mike Despard

Ryan Nunez

Erika Stuart

Dianna Hegmann

Patrick Lum

Donald Pixler

Oahu Lux Homes (Ashliey Wasson)

Clayton Hurd Deborah Cole

ACE Team Hawaii (Erica Yoon)

Ryan Oda

Beth Robinson Leslie Oxley-Friedrich Linda Hussey

Neal Norman Ben Welborn

Trevor Benn

Tiffany Spencer Judy Shiroma

Blaise Nakagawa

Lauren Pingree

Aaron Crawford Austin O’Leary

FORWARD REALTY

EXP REALTY (TEAMS)

Robin Boolukos

Lynda Gill Jill Caisey

The Farris Team (Travis Farris)

Sean Melton Greg Andrasick

Amy Marvin

Praise God Team (Marget Lim)

Terra Garigus

JJ Leininger

Hawaii Home Group Team (Jasmine Bell)

Noel Shaw

Legacy Living Team (Tiare Lando)

Cathy Possedi

Michelle Richardson

Jyoti Young Maggie Calabar Michael Fish J U LY 2 0 2 3

Erik Hinshaw Fawn Bertram Pete Arnold Sean Ginella

Rick Brandt Dan Omer Jack Roden Heidi Dollinger Teresa Nelle Deb Merle

David Lundstrom

Wendy Peterson

Dan Madden

Mark Bladen Jackson

ISLAND SOTHEBY'S REALTY

Cara Crimmins

EXP REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Melanie Vitale

Courtney Brown

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

John Climaldi

Lori Decker

Ryan MacLaughlin

Julianna Garris

Jean Becklund

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Lori Finch

Steve Hurwitz

Jake Chancer

Kelly Morgan

Pineapple Group (Devin Tryan)

Hawaii Lux Homes (Sherine Duncan)

Alana Rucynski

Carrie Nicholson

Karen Agudong

Kawaguchi Group (Tony Kawaguchi)

Nancy Beebe

Ivory Kalber

Brittany Hampton

Turnkey Group (Matthew Iannaccio)

Jeremy Stice

EXP REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Joel Cavasso

Josh Jerman

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Patrick Longley

EXP REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Cassandra Borton

Dylan Nonaka Cole Schlack

Danial Garven

Juliet Lalouel

Justice Pang

Leslie Smith

Chris Haywood

Dylan Shropshire

FIRM

Tom Tezak

Dave Richardson

Cindy Griffey

EXP REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Cassady Sirois Kruse

Art Manzano

AGENT N A ME

HAWAI‘I LIFE (INDIVIDUALS)

Anne Eliason

FIRM

EXP REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Maria Sims

Ruth S Marvin CORCORAN PACIFIC PROPERTIES

Hannah Sirois

Reba Roy

AGENT N A ME

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate List

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

ISLAND KEY:

O‘AHU

MAUI

AGENT N A ME

Team Kaikoa Vacation Maui Team dtMaui Blue Marlin Leiola Augustine

Catherine Pennell

Chiaki Yamada

Jennifer Schultz Sean Sonoda Joe Pineda Rex Tsai Christine Loo

Shannon Severance Johana Allison Yvonne Summerfield

Glen Fujihara

Min Yong

Chad Takesue

Takako Friend Cari Tanabe

Jodee Farm

Sharissa Y. L. Chun Roberta Wakisaka-Fellezs Dustin Thornberry Vineeta & Rajiv Jetley (Team)

RE/MAX HONOLULU (TEAMS)

Angela Brenna

Kymry Perez LOCATIONS HAWAII

Team Ching and Yates

KELLER WILLIAMS (TEAMS)

Sara Fox & Associates

Cindy Wild

Collette Kama

Michelle Takushi

Aloha Group Maui

Miranda Oldham

Stephanie Chan

Cannie Chum

Susan Deloria

Robbie Dein

Wanida Tienchai

Tiffany M. Chen

Claire Chung

Nancy Montoya

The Maui Team

Jeannie Kong-Evarts

RE/MAX HONOLULU

KELLER WILLIAMS (INDIVIDUALS)

Nicole Kovach

Tina Marie Vincent

The 808 Team

Ken Hayo

PREMIER ISLAND PROPERTIES

Drew Read Heather Selvitelle

Gina Parola

Bob Hansen

OAHURE.COM

Scott K. Startsman

Dean Otto

Van Fischer

Clint Hansen

Bryn Kaufman

Yukiko Yang

Mari Hirano

Eric West

KONA RESORT PROPERTIES

Esther Park Kusunoki

Aileen Rodriguez-Chizer

Team Alaka’i

Joanne Foxx

Roy Matsui

MAUI REAL ESTATE ADVISORS

Suzanne Patterson

Akimi Mallin

Team K2

Lara Schoeppner

Joy Yonemura Oda

Velva Ribble-Padgett

LIST SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

The Feliciano Group (Shannon Feliciano Jr.)

Evelyn Wong

Pam Maeda

Gladys Baran KELLER WILLIAMS (TEAMS)

The Oahu Group

Bill Quinlan

Jason Nishikawa

Sid Kirkland KELLER WILLIAMS (TEAMS)

The Weaver Team

Lisa Velasquez

Homes & Chocolate Team, Rochelle & Kealii Beck

Tongg + Partners (Charlene Tongg)

The O Team

Bherin Brown

The Hawaii Team, Dan Polimino & Chris Machold

The Ihara Team (Dan Ihara)

Team Lally

Sam Schaus

Kevin Nishikawa

Lorraine Fukumae

Andy Madrid

Dean Ueda

Taniguchi & Associates (Erik Taniguchi)

Michele Paape

FIRM

MAUI LUXURY REAL ESTATE LLC

Audrey Alessi

KELLER WILLIAMS (INDIVIDUALS)

Daniel Ulu

AGENT N A ME

Grant “Kapono” Kanoho

KELLER WILLIAMS (INDIVIDUALS)

Erin Cooper

FIRM

MARCUS REALTY

The Kapono Group - Jordan Smilth & Truman T. Taoka

KAUA‘I *Names in BOLD are profiled in section

KELLER WILLIAMS (TEAMS)

Anita L. White & Lori Powers

FIRM

ISLAND SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (MAUI)

Mino McLean & Sam Utley

HAWAI‘I ISLAND

2O23

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate List

AGENT N A ME

FIRM

Bill Thesken

Derrick Fujisaki Erminia Caracciolo

Stanford Lanias

Brian Axelrod

Stephane Michel

Nicole LK Vincent

Celedonia Querido

Lisa Roach SAVIO REALTY LTD.

Yuka Hayama

C. Kapono Pa Linda Yadao

Hisao Nakajima

Tim Brown

Hawai‘i Real Estate News Read news and insights about Hawai‘i real estate every Tuesday TO SU BSCRIBE, VISI T HAWAIIBU SINESS.COM/H R EN

Locally Owned, Locally Committed

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Gayle Ching

MacArthur & Lai Group

VENTURE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (TEAM)

Hilary Brown

Diandra J Dickinson

Kathy J. Christiansen SUE BROWN REALTY & ASSOCIATES

Sue Brown

Mary Souza

Rose Delfin

Garrett Gresham

Sunshine Woodford Allan Kroll

Nancy Moore

SAVIO REALTY LTD.

Karlyn Hamamoto

Barry Kaplan

Doreen Trudeau

Erica Amundson Keisha Johnson

FIRM

James Sullivan

Dana Kenny

Michael Reece

Lillian Shaw

AGENT N A ME

VENTURE SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY (INDIVIDUALS)

Isaac Fierro

Cynthia Mayo

FIRM

SAVIO REALTY LTD.

RE/MAX KAUAI LIVING

Kymry Perez

AGENT N A ME

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Myron Kiriu Realtor®, CEO, Owner, RB-17242

yron Kiriu has over 33 years of Hawai‘i real estate experience and is consistently one of the top 5 agents in the state. Having successfully closed over 2,300 transactions, Myron works diligently with his “client first” approach to real estate. He utilizes a very talented team of real estate professionals and the latest technology to effectively service each of his clients based on their unique needs. He is honored to be included among Hawaii Business Magazine’s Top Performers this year and the past three years. Myron is a 12 year recipient of the Top 100 Realtor award, the Better Homes and Garden Real Estate® (BHGRE) award for #1 team in the Nation; was also named #1 Realtor on O‘ahu by Hawaii Business Magazine; and was voted one of “Hawaii’s Best” Realtor eight years by Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers. A UC Berkeley alumnus and former CPA with KPMG Peat Marwick (Honolulu) and PriceWaterhouse/Coopers (San Francisco), Myron brings a wealth of experience and a keen financial insight to every transaction. Myron is the CEO and co-owner of BHGRE Advantage Realty along with his wife and business partner Ambur Kim Kiriu. While leading the company

for the past 19 years, the firm has consistently received a host of accolades: Recognized as one of Hawai‘i’s “Best Places to Work” by Hawaii Business Magazine; voted one of “Hawaii’s Best” Real Estate Firm 13 years by Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers; Voted “Best of Honolulu” Real Estate Firm by Honolulu Magazine readers 11 years; and received the BHGRE Most Productive Brokerage Award for the past 7 years. “I’d like to give a great big mahalo to our amazing clients for their trust in us and for allowing us to be part of their lives. Our commitment to our clients goes back over 33 years. Ambur and I had a vision to create a company that placed our clients’ interest as its top priority and have carefully built a team and a company that have the same heart and shared values. We’d like to thank and share this honor with our Real Estate Agents and the Support Staff at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty. To our fellow agents, thank you for working with us as we all strive to make our clients’ dreams come true. As always, I want to give a special thank you to my wife Ambur who has been a constant source of love and support to me. Without Ambur, none of this would be possible.” – MYRON

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty Kahala Mall, Upper Level 4211 Waialae Ave., Box 9050, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 864-9000 | myronk@betterhawaii.com MyronKiriu.com

AWAIIII BBUUSSIINNES ESSS HHAWA

61 61

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Brett K. Aka RS-75473

rett is a dedicated Real Estate Agent, with a unique approach to real estate. As a former Manager in the Honolulu Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young, he has the strategic negotiation skills necessary to set him apart in the industry. His “advisory over sales” approach” focuses on deep market analysis and truly putting his clients’ best interest in mind. He understands how technical real estate in Hawai’i can be and is passionate about managing risk through engagement with other professionals (i.e. geotechnical engineers, attorneys, subject matter experts, etc.). He strongly believes that technology will continue to change the real estate industry and is passionate about implementing innovative marketing strategies to leverage this. Brett and his team have consistently ranked as top performers in Hawai’i, which includes ranking Top 3% of teams in nationwide BHGRE network. However, Brett is most proud of his client service awards. He has been awarded Honolulu Magazine’s Best in Real Estate, which is based on personal recommendations for customer service and satisfaction. Additionally, he is the winner of the Honolulu Board of Realtors Aloha ‘Aina

REALTOR® Winner, which is awarded to REALTORS who have gone above and beyond in service to their clients and who maintain the highest ethical standards. Finally, Brett is a proud community supporter as the Aloha United Way (AUW) Society of Young Leader’s Board Member, former AUW Board Member, Advantage Kokua Scholarship Board Member, and Child & Family Service Guild Member. During his free time, Brett enjoys spending time with family, hiking, paddling, trying new restaurants, watching rugby, and traveling. Aloha! I can’t express enough gratitude to my family, friends, and clients for their continued trust and support! I’m inspired that people appreciate an “advisory over sales” approach and am passionate about helping families talk about their longer terms goals and plans for real estate. I feel blessed that this industry has allowed me to have so many meaningful conversations and build long-term relationships. I’d also like to acknowledge all of the support from my BHGRE Advantage Realty Ohana, and especially my team members, Kandace Achong and Katherine Martines. We are truly trying to push real estate to the next level! –BRETT

Better Homes and Gardens Advantage Realty (808) 753-3923 | bretta@betterhawaii.com akahomeshawaii.com @brett— aka Brett K. Aka, Oahu Real Estate

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Scott Adams Realtor–Associate, RS-66472

“T

hank you to our friends and clients for your trust and confidence over the years. It’s been an honor and blessing to help you with your real estate needs! We are grateful for your support and helping our business succeed.”

We are a full-service team that specializes in residential sales on Oahu. Our strong local ties and decades of sales, construction, and investment experience has put us among the Top-100 Producers on Oahu for 15 years. Services include: • Relocation Assistance • Coordinating Repairs/Renovations • Investment Strategies • VA Sales

• Voted Best In Real Estate, 9 Years (Honolulu Magazine) • Voted Hawai‘i’s Best Real Estate Firm 13 Years in a Row (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) • Voted Best of Honolulu Real Estate Firm 11 Years (Honolulu Magazine) “Scott goes above and beyond what you would expect from a realtor. Not only did he get the highest price ever recorded (in the neighborhood) for my parents’ home, he helped them prepare their property to sell, handling all the repairs, document updates, and maintenance that was needed. He also helped my parents move and sell their belongings. He was extremely patient and positive throughout the entire process…” – Carla W. (Seller)

We’ve helped hundreds of families reach their real estate goals in the most successful and stress-free way possible. Let us show you how. Call me or meet our team at our KAILUA, KAHALA, KAKAAKO, or KAPOLEI office.

“I was especially impressed by Scott’s extensive knowledge of the local market, network of contacts and analytical approach. Our home purchase was fraught with difficulties and at a high risk of falling through, but Scott put in the work and carried us through...” – Brett J. (Buyer)

• Top 100 Realtors on O‘ahu, 15 Years (Honolulu Board of Realtors) • Top Performer/Top 100 Realtors in Hawai‘i, 12 Years (Hawaii Business Magazine)

“Scott Adams is the best Realtor I’ve dealt with in four states. His knowledge and commitment to providing superior customer service is unmatched. I highly recommend him.” – Aaron Q. (Buyer)

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty (808) 779-5135 | ScottA@BetterHawaii.com www.HiHomes.com Offices in K AHALA, K AILUA and K APOLEI

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Mathew Ngo REALTOR-BROKER® RB-20704

athew Ngo focuses on building long term relationship with his clients. Ensuring that all Mathew’s clients receive his personal touch in every transaction is of the utmost importance. Mathew communicates with his clients on a regular basis and updates them on all facets of his work for them. Mathew knows Honolulu, and surrounding neighborhoods, and familiarizes himself with the fast changing marketplace and provides the latest technologies to promote his sales locally, on the mainland and globally. Mathew’s focus is purely on the client’s needs and wants, and delivers with the utmost precision. His unique ability to listen and understand your needs and desire, and even fears, is why Mathew is proving to be one of most valuable agents on Oahu.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Advantage Realty (808) 222-7183 Mathew@MathewNgo.com www.MathewNgo.com

Myra Yamada & Robynn Roberts ePro, ABR, CRS, MRP RB 16781

he dynamic duo is honored by this award again in 2023. Myra and Robynn have been working together since 2016. Their past experiences in business, sales, and marketing, combined with a solid foundation of providing outstanding customer service, has equipped them with all the tools needed for a successful team in real estate for many years. Seeing their clients smile when they receive their keys and investing in themselves is one of the most fulfilling parts of the job. Myra and Robynn specialize in first time homebuyers, relocation, and military families. Social media groups and client referrals have allowed them to see top awards at Coldwell Banker Realty each year such as Top Producer, Top Listor, and Top Performer Annual Awards.

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Myra: (808) 561-2443 myra.yamada@cbpacific.com Robynn: (352) 219-4888 robynn.roberts@cbpacific.com www.yourislandhomesteam.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Jordan Panina Chow Realtor®, Principal Broker, CCIM, CNE, SRES, RB-21901

ordan Panina Chow is the Principal Broker of Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty in Honolulu. Specializing in commercial real estate sales & leasing, Chow’s experience extends from commercial land acquisition for development, golf courses, hospitality resorts, retail shopping centers, office & mixed-use buildings, industrial warehouses, multi-family investments, restaurants & other retail/ office businesses. Chow is also a CCIM designee & recognized as an expert in the disciplines of commercial and investment real estate. Chow has worked with local, national, multinational and international investors & tenants whom he’s guided throughout the investment or leasing process to a successful closing. He also worked with developers such as Peter Savio on projects that include affordable housing, industrial warehouses, single-family homes, and medical office spaces. In addition, Chow has worked as a commercial property manager for the Mary Savio Medical Plaza, King Center, & Kaheka Professional Center, of which his

team handled all day-to-day operations, sales, leasing & marketing of the three buildings. He moved on in his career to become Broker-In-Charge of Primary Properties, Inc. and successfully ran the Commercial Division, in which his team handled landlord/tenant representation, investment portfolios, commercial investment seminars, & acquisitions. “We are extremely excited to have Jordan join our Commercial team. His impressive wealth of experience in both residential and commercial properties will be invaluable as he leads Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty in Honolulu” – MIKE JAMES, PRESIDENT OF COLDWELL BANKER REALTY - HI

No. 1 CBC Broker and CBC Office by State

Commercial Top 2 Professional Award (Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty)

Top 1% of all Coldwell Banker Realty agents Worldwide (International President’s Premier Award)

Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty 4211 Waialae Ave, #9000 Honolulu, HI 96816 Cell: 808-392-1906 Email: JordanPChow@gmail.com www.TeamGSDHawaii.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Tracy Allen Vice President, RA, RS-46610 Global Luxury Ambassador, Luxury Property Specialist, International President’s Premier, Society of Excellence, Top Producer, Coldwell Banker Realty

her design and staging talents to transform the look of your property and then targets potential buyers across major social media platforms and in eye-catching print collateral. Through up-to-the-minute trend data and analytics, she prices the home competitively and times the listing to the most opportune moment. Once a qualified buyer is found, Tracy’s client-centered negotiation ensures an entirely satisfying, financially beneficial outcome. Buyers can expect the same personalized attention as Tracy draws on her regional expertise and Coldwell Banker Realty’s cutting-edge technologies to pinpoint lucrative housing options suited to her clients’ unique wants and needs. Through her extensive professional network, Tracy learns of available properties often before they hit the market, giving her clients a measurable insider’s edge. Tracy also knows that the process can be stressful, so she keeps the lines of communication open as she manages the required paperwork and negotiations. With her unwavering dedication and comprehensive suite of services, Tracy takes her buyers over the threshold and into the home of their dreams. If RESULTS matter, call Tracy today!

racy Allen knows real estate. With 30+ years of experience, stellar credentials and unmatched market expertise, she brings superior results to buyers and sellers throughout Honolulu. When you partner with Tracy, you have a distinct advantage in today’s dynamic landscape. As the #1 Individual Sales Agent in Hawaii and #4 Individual Sales Agent Nationwide for Coldwell Banker Realty, Tracy stands at the pinnacle of the real estate industry. In addition to holding the record for the highest closed residential sales on the island of Oahu, she is a member of the prestigious Coldwell Banker® Society of Excellence, a designation reserved for less than 1% of 100,000+ agents globally. Tracy is the only Coldwell Banker Realty agent in Hawaii to receive this honor not only once but seven times and counting. Tracy is also a certified Global Luxury Property Specialist and Global Luxury Ambassador, fully equipped to oversee the purchase and sale of Hawaii’s finest residences. When it comes to selling your home for optimal return, there is no substitute for skill enhanced by years of experience and a 4505 Kahala Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii thorough understanding of the local market. Closed Sale: $15,000,000 FS Tracy offers all this and more. She leverages

2411 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii Closed Sale: $8,300,000 FS

*Represented the Buyers & Sellers

Coldwell Banker Realty 1314 South King Street, 2nd Floor Honolulu, HI 96814 (808) 927-6415 | Tracy@TracyAllenHawaii.com www.TracyAllenHawaii.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Yvonne Jaramillo Ahearn 4x Aloha ‘Aina Award Winner Founding Broker | RB-20262 ABR, CRS, GRI, MRP, CLHMS, ILHM Million Dollar Guild

he easiest ways to maximize the value of your home are:

(1) Properly prepare your home for listing. We can help you get your home prepared for sale using Compass Concierge, an interest-free loan from Compass, repaid at closing. This loan can be used for repairs, improvements, landscaping, staging, storage, cleaning, and almost anything else you need to get your home into its best selling condition, for the highest price possible. (2) Use high-quality, professional photography and marketing. Photos are the first showing of your home and will entice people to see it in person. You need to portray your home at its very best, to encourage competition. (3) Properly price your home. Your home should be priced to be attractive to as many buyers as possible, also to create competition, at or just under the market value. Especially, in a fluctuating market,

overpricing can lead to a lower price than if the home had been priced correctly initially. Call an A-Team Oahu Broker to learn more about Compass Concierge, our great marketing, and selling your home for the best price possible.

ANA KUNA Aloha ‘Aina Award Nominee Founding Broker | RB-21908 ABR, GRI, MRP, e-PRO ana.kuna@compass.com 808.295.2311 @ana.kuna.oahu.realtor

AMY CONLEY Aloha ‘Aina Award Nominee Founding Broker | RB-20176 ABR, GRI, MRP amy.conley@compass.com 808.375.2521 @amyconley.oahu.realtor

629 Kailua Road, Suite 110 Kailua, HI 96734 (808) 721-8088 | Eyvonne.ahearn@compass.com @oahu_real_estate_life

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Alesia Barnes RB 22312 CRS, MRP, CLHM-Guild, Top 100

HALEIWA

lesia Barnes, affectionately known as “Ms. Aloha,” is a real estate broker, entrepreneur, and real estate investor. With years of experience in the industry, Alesia has become one of Hawaii’s top real estate professionals, trusted by her clients for her dedication to delivering exceptional results. Alesia’s expertise in working with high-end clientele means that she understands the importance of discretion and getting deals done efficiently. Alesia and her hand-selected team provide the most exceptional concierge-level service, representing both buyers and sellers of distinguished properties throughout Hawai‘i. Alesia’s marketing and advertising knowledge, connections, industry partnerships, and extensive knowledge of specialized markets consistently has the Alesia Barnes Team ranked in the top 100 Realtors. When she’s not working, Alesia enjoys pursuing her hobbies of fitness, golf, skiing, and travel. She’s always ready for a new adventure and loves to explore Hawaii’s natural beauty.

KAILUA

WAIKIKI

KAPOLEI

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In addition to her passion for real estate, Alesia is also an animal lover and supporter of animal charities. You can often find her walking her two little pups around the Lanikai loop in the evenings. If you’re looking to buy or sell property in Hawaii, Alesia and her team are ready to work for you today!

3222 Diamond Head Road Honolulu, HI 96815 6 Bed, 5.5 Bath, Price Upon Request

4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite 100 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 397-7928 | alesia@barneshawaii.com www.alesiabarnes.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu + Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Susan Borochov REALTOR® ASSOCIATE, ABR, CHMS, CRS, GRI Vice President | Luxury Specialist | Top 100 Hawai‘i REALTOR Hall of Fame, 6x Aloha ‘Āina REALTOR®’s Award Winner

ften described as authentic, Susan balances work and fun while bringing an impressive energy to represent her buyers and sellers. Born and raised on O‘ahu, Susan has an in-depth knowledge of the market. She has proven results from day one in her career, being recognized as a top producing agent and winning multiple awards for her achievements. Susan takes the time to get to know her clients on a level that’s unique to each of them. This is evidenced by her being the first ever six-time recipient of the prestigious Aloha ‘Āina REALTOR® Award. Only 10 agents per year are given this award which honors and publicly recognizes REALTORS® based on their high level of service and dedication to their clients. She feels fortunate to do what she loves, and she gives all the credit to others. “I am very grateful to my wonderful clients for giving me the opportunity to work with them, allowing me to enjoy my passion,” Susan says. “They are not only my clients, but they have also become my friends. I also want to thank all of my colleagues in this industry for making my job so enjoyable.” Service You Want, Results You Deserve; From Condos to Estates.

“Susan’s EXTENSIVE knowledge of Honolulu real estate, and her vast experience, were INCREDIBLY pivotal in not only superbly negotiating our deal, but throughout the ENTIRE process. Her contacts throughout the service industry here were part of the reason we got a massive credit in the closing for rehab costs! On time, on the ball, and watching your back, simply put, she’s the best agent I’ve worked with in my 25 years of buying and selling properties. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”— DAVID D. “Susan was such a huge help from the beginning to the end. She works from her heart and truly cares. She has an excellent understanding on how to stage and guided us so our home showed well, her negotiating and logic skills amazed to reason with our buyers and she was there making sure our cleaners did a good job to ensure the buyers would move into a clean home. She was not only our REALTOR® but also became our friend. We highly recommend to call her! She is very hands on which direct agents should all be and she tries hard to make it positive for boths sides. I am a business owner, I know what a good and hard working person is and that is Susan Borochov.” — CHARLES K.

“Susan works very very hard to make your dream come true. I highly recommend her for a number of reasons, e.g., unreal work ethic, clear and effective communication, extremely smart and able to problem solve like a pro and has a great sense of humor. Our family agent for life now.” — SPENCER R.

Corcoran Pacific Properties- Kahala Office 4211 Waialae Ave, Ste. 106, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 478-0330 Susan@susanborochov.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Myra Brandt Oahu Partner, Realtor®, CIPS, CLHMS, CRB, CRS, GRI, SRES, RB-14004

“T

hank you to my clients for the trust you have placed in me. I am grateful for your friendship and to have your life be a part of my life. Mahalo also to our dedicated team who embrace our values of service, mastery, integrity and commitment to our community.”— MYRA BRA NDT

Growing up in Honolulu with a focused career in real estate since 1982, Myra is confident to represent clients in any neighborhood on the island. Understanding your difference, she is able to custom fit real solutions and find the perfect place where you can begin or continue to grow and prosper. Through dedicated and outstanding customer service, Myra was awarded the Corcoran Ruby Award which is a Network award presented to global Corcoran agents based on an average of $2M or higher sale price and the Corcoran Pacific Platinum Award presented to Corcoran agents statewide with over $20M in sales production in 2022.

$2M+ Average Sales Price

$20M+ Sales Production

Corcoran Pacific Properties 4211 Waialae Ave., Suite 106 Honolulu, HI 96816 Cell (808) 224-3413 Office (808) 589-2040 myra@brandts.com

Joel Cavasso Real Estate Broker, RB-13463

s I go into my 44th year selling Real Estate in Hawaii, now with Lanikai Land Co brokered by eXp, I am blessed to have an amazing network of clients to support me. With that support, I successfully closed my highest sale ever of $23,888,000, which is currently the highest sale for all of HBR in 2022 and the second highest sale ever recorded in Lanikai. My past and current clients include Fred Amoroso, Retired Chairman of Yahoo, Young Sohn, Retired Pres. Of Samsung, Ed Catmull, Co-Founder of Pixar, Lip-bu Tan, Chairman of Walden International, and President Barack Obama. BROKERED BY

“We have known Joel Cavasso for many years. He helped us find the perfect Hawaii beach house. Joel is incredibly knowledgeable about the market -- he knows Kailua is the best place in the world and wants everyone to know that!” ~ YOUNG SOHN, RETIRED PRESIDENT, SAMSUNG

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7 Waterfront, 500 Ala Moana Blvd Suite 400, Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 216-9988 | joelcavasso@me.com www.lanikailua.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Juniper Adler RS-84396

ig Island born and raised; I was fortunate to travel the world to diversify myself in different cultures and practices. As a small business owner holding a BA in Economics, a Minor in Communication and time spent in the EMBA Program at Shidler College of Business I come with a business and a professional background of 15 years. Returned to Hawaii to settle down and build a home to raise my family. While doing so, I worked in the solar industry aiding in Hawaii sustainability. I help to build a team at Hawaii Energy Connection on Oahu for 4 years then relocated back to Hawaii Island where I planted myself for the last 9 years working in the operations department for Hawaii Electric Light Company. We serviced the entire island where I hold area knowledge on both the east and west side. Real Estate has been a part of my family since I was a child. My father developed and sold homes and pre-engineered steel buildings. He taught me that consistency and quality would be my strongest traits.

Being a homeowner and Real Estate Investor I am proficient with zoning, state and county regulations allowing me to leverage and service a wide variety of home buyers, investors and developers. Being able to assist and educate is the passion behind my success. It humbles me to help my clients not just find homes to build a life under, but a lifelong investment. My mission is to provide high quality service levels and education with each and every interaction. Mahalo, Juniper “Juniper went above and beyond to assist us in finding our new home. We worked together for months searching the Big Island to find our house. I can’t fathom the amount of miles driven to make every showing of every house a possibility. Her Aloha spirit, market knowledge and dedication to finding us the right house was unbelievable. I can’t thank Juniper enough for her friendship and professionalism during our home buying journey. Thank you for all your hard work! Much love and Aloha!” – TOM AND JESS

eXp Realty 500 Ala Moana Blvd. #7-400 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 RB21841 juniper.adler@exprealty.com (808) 443-4016

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Sherine Duncan RA, RS-76286

orn into real estate and property management, as her parents own a large brokerage firm, Sherine started working for a real estate appraiser at age 18 then

on to starting her own mortgage company in her 20’s. She has bought and managed many investment properties, developed land and built two of her own custom homes. In 2006, after 15 years owning a mortgage company on the central coast of CA, she began working in the title and escrow industry for Fidelity National Title in Lake Tahoe, CA. This led her to the position as Sales Manager for the state of Hawaii.

Her knowledge of homes from appraising, building, lending, title, escrow, and design puts her at the top of the charts in knowledge, but her passion for people is what shines through in each transaction. Sherine is the owner and founder of Hawaii LUX Team. She has a team of 15 agents covering all areas of Oahu. Sherine was born and raised in California but forever home in Kailua, Oahu. With her love of family and ocean, she resides with her husband near the beach and has her children and grandchildren nearby.

She was able to spend time on all Hawaiian islands and understands how Hawaii real estate thrives throughout the state. This segued into selling homes in 2014 quite nicely. With over 8000 agents in Hawaii, she made the top 100 by her second year.

Hawai‘i Lux (808) 554-2262 sherine@hawaiiluxhomes.com www.hawaiiluxteam.com

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O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Tiare Lando RS 79807

ind me on National Television as a Real Estate Expert Host for Hawaii’s Lifestyle & Local Community Resources on the American Dream TV. I was born & raised here on the Island of Oahu and love being an Ambassador of Aloha as a Mrs. Hawaii International. Having lived & helped clients throughout the Hawaiian Islands, I share my deep appreciation for our land, our people & culture. My passion is truly people, and my priority is their experience! My Team and I consider ourselves so blessed to empower people to live their life to the fullest, by focusing on their goals and streamlining our well rounded services. We aim to expedite the real estate process for them, when they are buying, selling and investing...to ultimately be able to get our clients to where they want to be with as least stress as possible. Our team goal at Legacy Living Collective is to give our best so that you can live your best! This is different for every person in their specific season, being able to talk with you today, allows us the opportunity to empower you to start living your legacy now. We want to be able to provide you with the tools, education and the know-how you need to make the right decision for you and your family.

As a TOP Producing Realtor, focused Real Estate Investor, Certified Senior Residential Expert Specialist, as well as a Military Relocation Professional offering Education in the Community is something our Team remains committed to. Diversifying my Clients Real Estate Investment Portfolios as well as connecting with Local, National & International resources as a Certified Luxury Realtor allows me the honor of assisting at the highest level of Service with keeping PEOPLE as the PRIORITY! My extensive career background in Construction, Land Development and Commercial, Federal and Residential projects allows me the knowledge leverage needed to be able to handle a wide array of specific needs in your current situation. Your experience is supported by my In-House Full-Time Marketing & Administrative Team to see you through your real estate needs in every season from Buying, Selling and Investing. We utilize the most innovative technology & creative marketing strategies as well as social media, community involvement and ongoing top-tier education to always provide our clients with unbeatable service!

Legacy Living Now 500 Ala Moana Blvd Suite 7-400 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 381-7824 | tiarelando@legacylivingnow.com www.Legacylivingnow.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

David M. Lundstrom RB-22709, Managing Broker, O‘ahu, BIC Hawai‘i Life, Director of Sales and Business Development Military Specialized Team Leader

want to thank my many clients for choosing me as their real estate agent and broker. None of my professional experiences have been as rewarding as being a part of an elite group of Brokers in Hawai‘i and a Broker-in-Charge at Hawai‘i Life. This role has allowed me to combine all my many business skills to serve my clients and our statewide team of agents. Moving my family to O‘ahu from Colorado in 2013 was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. My previous career as a successful entrepreneur took me from Chicago to Miami to Colorado, and then to Honolulu. I have been very fortunate to continue elevating my career and job descriptions within Hawai‘i Life. In 2022 I was promoted to Managing Broker of O‘ahu while I continue to be a Broker In Charge of the company. Additionally, I have also expanded into the Hawai‘i Life Director of Sales and Business Development role. These new and exciting paths help me continue to expand my knowledge base as well as further my skill set within the brokerage. I continue to lead the Hawai‘i Life Military Specialized team with the certified MRP designation. I am proud also to be recognized as a Hawai‘i Life Zillow Team member with excellent reviews. All of these skills help give me a unique skill set that serves my clients well.

Keeping my clients informed and updated with a clear explanation of the real estate process is my number one goal. Customer service is vitally important in all aspects of the real estate transaction. I strive to keep improving and constantly work to perfect my craft and contract skills to serve my clients better. I believe in treating people as you would want to be treated. This philosophy has been a big part of my business life since day one. I look forward to helping you buy, sell or learn more about the real estate process in Hawai‘i. “We moved to O‘ahu during the pandemic and trying to find a house during quarantine orders was not possible. We found ourselves shopping online for a home. David helped us navigate the ins and outs of buying in Hawai‘i. We never thought we would buy a home “virtually,” but David was incredibly accommodating from FaceTime walkthroughs to measuring rooms. Any time we had a question, he immediately responded with the answer, or researched the question and got back to us quickly. He knows his neighborhood, and made us feel comfortable buying “sight unseen.” He has gone far and above the normal responsibilities of a Realtor. Even after we closed on the house, he is still making sure we are well taken care of now that we are in our new home. David is top notch.” –‘EWA BEACH RESIDENT

(808) 352-3099 davidlundstrom@hawaiilife.com David.HawaiiLife.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

John Climaldi Realtor-Broker MRP, CRS RB21517

’d like to give a big Mahalo to the Hawaii Business Magazine for the “Top Performer” recognition. As someone who would rather keep his head down and do good work than be in the limelight, I’ve always put my clients at the center of what I do. Creating the best possible outcome for what is likely to be the sale or purchase of the biggest assets they own, or will soon own, is what I enjoy and excel at most. Of course, none of this would be possible without the continued support and partnership of my clients. I am grateful for their support over the years and for putting their trust in me and my small efficient team. I have represented people in just about every facet of real estate, and that experience has let me be the best that I can be for my clients. Helping my clients achieve wealth through real estate is the primary driving factor of my business: residential investment properties, commercial options, or a family home to live in. To be able to advise clients when to pivot and when to take advantage of market shifts and opportunities is extremely rewarding. Full service also means being able to connect clients to a Forbes Global

Properties Brokerage or Leading Real Estate Companies of The World affiliate for investment opportunities to other markets (international and stateside) when needed. Building wealth through Real Estate comes in many forms and in many areas of the world. I must also give a big Mahalo to Hawai‘i Life and our Creative Marketing Team. They are a true marketing firm within our independent statewide Brokerage that uses a “design everything” mantra. The high level of work they consistently deliver is nothing short of amazing and allows me to represent my client’s properties in a custom, thoughtful, and creative way. Whether it’s a SEO play, creative content for a national PR push, custom website, vertical video for social media, or print advertising, they always deliver. Lastly, I would like to recognize the hard work that goes into my industry at every level. I am blessed to work with the most talented professionals in real estate and escrow services. Mahalo, all of you!

(808) 687-1890 johnclimaldi@hawaiilife.com HawaiiLife.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Julianna Garris REALTOR, CLHMS, CRS, SRES, Broker-in-Charge; RB-17280

awaii Life and The Choi Group would like to congratulate Julianna Garris for being a leader in O‘ahu luxury home sales and another year’s recognition on the Hawaii Business list of top-performing O‘ahu agents. Julianna Garris has been an integral member of the CHOI Group for nearly 30 years, with designations as both realtor and broker-in-charge. She has built her reputation by providing exceptional service for over 30 years. I’ve been honored to represent clients locally and from around the world with their most important asset—their home.,” says Garris. Her personalized approach merges her professional wisdom, a wealth of hands-on experience, and genuine interest in people, who she says are the heart and soul of her business. She contributes her success to Hawaii Life’s creative marketing team and steadfast support from The Choi Group’s exceptional staff Angie Niermann and Elna Kimoto, who have been an integral part of her team for over a decade.

“Julie was also an excellent negotiator. She knew the market pricing better than others we interviewed with, and her knowledge and suggested price of where to list to meet our timeframe was perfect. She worked masterfully and with integrity in assisting us in getting an excellent offer. She managed through issues calmly and fairly enabling the sale to continue to move forward smoothly.” – GINGERICH FAMILY

“Hawaii is filled with many able bodied realtors, but you cannot find a better advocate than Julianna Garris... Just as Michaelangelo could see through the exterior of his marble blocks to find the hidden masterpiece, Julianna possesses that same x-ray vision in viewing properties.” – ROBERT C. KLAPPER, M.D.

“Thank you for placing us in our new home at Koko Isle in Hawaii Kai. Purchasing a home in Honolulu is quite a daunting task. Low inventory, high prices and an endless sea of paperwork and anxiety. Somehow, you make it look easy. You have a commitment to excellence and go that extra mile to make sure your clients have the best chance at getting the keys to their dream home.” – GARY BELL, DC

The Choi Group with Hawai‘i Life julie@garrishawaii.com (808) 255-7143 | www.Choi.HawaiiLife.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Erik Taniguchi Realtor®, RB-20223 (CRS, SRES)

rik Taniguchi is the owner of Taniguchi & Associates, a leading real estate firm based in Honolulu, HI. With a strong reputation for excellence, Erik and his team provide top-notch client service and innovative real estate solutions. Taniguchi & Associates is a top-ranked real estate team in Hawaii, known for their extensive marketing knowledge and expertise. They combine cutting-edge strategies with exceptional real estate services to deliver outstanding results for their clients. Erik’s global network expands Taniguchi & Associates’ reach beyond Hawaii, providing access to a vast pool of buyers and sellers in the international real estate market. With complete control over the design, marketing, and technology aspects, Taniguchi & Associates provides a seamless real estate experience. They offer professional staging, impressive photography, social media expertise, and internet optimization, resembling a dedicated marketing agency. Erik and his team guide clients through the complexities of buying or selling property, serving as trusted advisors at every step of the process. Their deep understanding of the local market combined with their global connections ensures successful transactions. With a global network and in-house capabilities, they offer comprehensive real estate services that surpass expectations.

“The Taniguchi & Associates team has EARNED my respect and this very positive review for their efforts on my behalf over an extended period of time. I do not write many reviews. I usually reserve my comments for very good or very bad performance relative to a product or service. The performance of Erik Taniguchi and Daniel Lucariello and their entire team at Taniguchi & Associates Hawaii Real Estate was way over the top. I worked with Erik over an extended period of time to accomplish my Hawaii real estate goals. Daniel and the Taniguchi team directly supported both purchase and sales efforts over the last few months. Most of my experience is with property purchases on the mainland including California where the bureaucracy is almost as daunting as in Hawaii. Erik, Daniel and the Taniguchi & Associates team worked very professionally to get me through the bureaucracy of a property marketing and sales effort as well as a property selection and purchase effort. I found the Taniguchi & Associates team to be knowledgeable, friendly, responsive and professional throughout the course of these transactions. In addition these efforts were not only successful but also achieve very favorable results relative to my goals. With no hesitation I can recommend Erik Taniguchi and his entire team at Taniguchi & Associates Hawaii Real Estate.”

Keller Williams Honolulu 1347 Kapiolani Blvd 3rd Floor Honolulu, HI 96814 (808)596-2888

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

The Ihara Team Realtor®, RS-65892

an and Julie Ihara, with over 18 years

covering topics such as “Building Wealth Through a

of experience, have built their platform

1031 Exchange”, “I’m a Trustee - Now What?”, and

around education and client advocacy,

“Planning for the Future and Beyond.”

earning a stellar reputation in the Hawaiian real

Dan Ihara is not only an accomplished real

estate market. Specializing in various aspects of real

estate professional but also the Leader of the Keller

estate, including luxury properties, first-time home

WilliamsTM Real Estate PlannerSM community. In this

buyers, investors, corporate and military relocation,

role, he coaches hundreds of real estate agents across

1031 exchanges, wealth building, legacy planning,

the country the consultative approach that has brought

trust sales, and senior relocation, The Ihara Team has

him immense success in Hawaii. This approach focuses

successfully served over 1,400 families in achieving

on facilitating conversations, providing tailored

their real estate dreams.

solutions, minimizing taxes, and executing well

Consistently featured in Honolulu’s Top 100 Realtors for the last 17 years, the Iharas have sold over 1,400 homes, successfully completed hundreds of

thought-out plans to build generational wealth and accomplish the family’s objectives. With their passion, expertise, and dedication,

1031 exchanges with a 100% success rate, and assisted

Dan and Julie Ihara, along with The Ihara Team, have

numerous seniors in downsizing and relocating.

become the go-to real estate agents for those looking to

They’ve spoken at over 1,000 local and national venues,

buy, sell, or invest in Hawaii’s real estate market.

The Ihara Team ihara@iharateam.com 808-754-2225

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

O‘ahu + Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O22

Charlene Tongg RS-65559

ongg+partners epitomizes growth, integrity, and hard work with the base principle of always earning the right to be in business with their clients and tribe/ team members. They are trend setters for getting results while delivering excellent customer service in every aspect of the real estate experience. tongg+partners does not view real estate as a “job”, but rather a lifestyle with the sole purpose of delivering the dream of home ownership everywhere. In most cases, real estate is the largest financial decision most people will make in life so tongg+partners considers it an honor to have the opportunity to sit down with each new client to truly understand their wants and needs so they are able to pair them with the “perfect home”. In 2014, their first year, tongg+partners closed 27 transactions with a volume of $16,225,033.00. Since then, tongg+partners has continued to grow and attract top talent, and as a result to date they have helped 1089 families with a total volume of $672,640,198.44.

We are excited for what the future holds as we press forward with the opportunity of changing lives through real estate! “Tongg and Partners assisted my family in the buying and selling of our very first home. The team was so knowledgeable and professional and made us feel comfortable every step of the way. They went above and beyond to help us purchase our home while we were thousands of miles away and sold our home only days after listing it. We highly trust and recommend them.”—Mallory Q.

tongg+partners 1347 Kapiolani Blvd. #300, Honolulu, HI 96814 (808) 429-0043

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

O‘ahu

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Shannon TKS Feliciano Jr. RS-69571

hannon TKS Feliciano Jr , with over 17 years of experience , his passion in servicing his clients has made him one of the Top Realtors in the State of Hawaii. At only 38 Years of Age and numerous accolades under his belt . He finds the real fullment and reward in seeing his client achieve their real estate goals. Shannon Services Oahu and Hawaii Island, and physically sell both islands on a daily basis. We live in such a beautiful place with culture and being able to share that with the world has been a blessing. “ Shannon is a Genuine and professional individual. His knowledge, tenacity, and positive attitude always promise a great outcome. He has our gratitude and support in any of his endeavors - Awesome braddah.”-JASON SANCHEZ, MILILANI HAWAII

The Feliciano Group Hawaii Keller Williams Honolulu TheFelicianogroup@kw.com

Drew Read HI LICENSE RS-67769

rew’s honesty, integrity and knowledge coupled with his exceptional service make him a great realtor! Drew has experience with real estate in both Hawai‘i and the Mainland. He started out buying properties for investment purposes and discovered a true passion for the industry. Drew was first exposed to real estate as a child, when his father worked as an architect and general contractor of custom homes. This early introduction gave Drew an appreciation for quality craftsmanship and architectural design. With his dependability, loyalty, expertise and attention to detail, Drew goes above and beyond to understand his clients’ needs and consistently exceeds their expectations. His commitment to professional service combined with his enthusiasm and integrity make Drew an excellent guide to real estate.

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List Sotheby’s International Realty 4211 Waialae Avenue, Suite 8060 Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 782-3636 | realestate@drewread.com www.drewread.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Nate Gaddis & Maggie Zhang Co-Founders, Gaddis Zhang Hawaii Nate Gaddis, R(S) 75971 Maggie Zhang, R(S) 66844

n late 2020, at the height of the Covid pandemic, Nate underwent emergency brain surgery at Queens Medical Center, followed by months of treatment and recovery at UCSF

Medical Center in San Francisco. The five-person real estate group we currently operate was born virtually overnight out of necessity, to allow us to operate a business while being 2,000 miles apart. Nate was eventually able to make a full recovery,

“I owe my life to the medical professionals who assisted me throughout that time, and my wellbeing in large part to the phenomenal group of people who work with us. To our friends and clients who continue to put their trust in us, we thank you. To those of you we have not yet met, we wish you good health, and happiness.”-NATE In 2023, Gaddis Zhang Hawaii will be donating 100% of their commissions from select sales towards promoting home ownership for Foster Youth. To learn more and for how you can participate, write to info@gzhawaii.com.

and the resulting business growth we’ve experienced has been gratifying. But we also lost a lot of wonderful people along the way.

Gaddis Zhang Hawaii 75-1029 Henry St, Suite 301 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 (808) 937-2663 www.gzhawaii.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Kelly Shaw Realtor Broker | RB-21516 ABR, e-Pro, CRS, CLHMS, RENE

elly is not just a real estate agent. She is a trusted advisor who is committed to establishing lasting relationships and building strong communities with her clients. As a passionate and experienced Realtor® with almost two decades’ experience, she recognizes that home is more than a house; it is a place where people plant their roots and make lifelong memories. Her commitment to exceptional customer care is the cornerstone of her business. Kelly takes the time to get to know her clients personally, listening carefully to their unique needs and goals and working closely with them to develop a long-term plan. Whether someone is a firsttime homebuyer, seasoned property investor, or making a milestone move, Kelly provides experienced guidance through every step of the process. Kelly specializes in residential real estate on the west side of the Big Island, including Kailua Kona, Holualoa, and South Kona. Her expertise in these markets enables her to provide her clients with critical insights, market trends, personal experience, and knowledge that helps them navigate every situation. With a heart for Hawaii, Kelly is also dedicated to giving back to the community where she works and lives-a community that means so much to her. She regularly volunteers her time and expertise to local events and dedicates her resources to make charitable donations to worthy causes.

“We have worked with Kelly Shaw on four real estate transactions over the past five years and we have been very happy with everything she has done for us. Her knowledge of the market trends and her expertise in the transaction process is exceptional. Also, the attention to detail during the entire process, from listing to sale or contract to purchase, has been very reassuring. I would not hesitate to use her again in any future real estate transactions. Thank you Kelly!” – WALT & SUE W.

Represented Seller - Meilani View Estates | 75-5767 Melelina Street, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

(808) 960-4636 | kelly.shaw@compass.com www.BuyAHomeInKona.com

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Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Sharly Ward RB 12705, ABR, ASPM, CLHMS, CRS, GRI

ith over 4 decades of real estate experience on the Big Island, Sharly Ward has a wealth of knowledge and invaluable expertise to offer clients, whether they are buyers, sellers or investors. Specializing in luxury, resort, residential and commercial real estate. Sharly knows the history of most properties. One of only 64 in the world Accredited Staging Professional Masters and a lifetime member of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals, Sharly assists and guides sellers to make a property look its best to get the most value. Recordbreaking sales with hundreds of thousands dollars over list price is her track record. After years of assisting sellers she knows what sellers need and how to win the property of her buyers. Sharly’s built a reputation for integrity and doing what is right, and she gets the most satisfaction from her work by making clients happy.

69-250 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Suite B14 Waikoloa Village HI 96738 (808) 938-9533 sharly.ward@compass.com

Tracy Abrams CLHMS, RS-78699

ith nearly $70 million in luxury realty transactions on Hawaii Island in 2022, Tracy’s success story continues with more than 20 years in the industry. Honors include the Corcoran National Ruby and the Corcoran Pacific Properties Platinum Circle awards in 2022. She was named a Top Performer in Real Estate by Hawaii Business Magazine last year; earlier this year, Tracy was featured in Pacific Business News “People on the Move” story. These are just a few examples, illustrating how she is raising the bar in the islands’ realty industry. Her primary focus is luxury residential resort properties along the coveted Kona-Kohala Coast on the island’s west side. Tracy is known for outstanding marketing skills, attention to detail and her keen eye for design and expertise in staging homes for excellent results. She is perhaps most sought out and respected for protecting her clients’ privacy throughout each transaction, while working to exceed expectations. Live Who You Are

Corcoran Pacific Properties (808) 757-8104 Tracy.Abrams@CorcoranPacific.com www.corcoranpacific.com

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2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Jenni Lee Realtor®, RS-69239

he foundation of Jenni’s success is on finding a balance between her career and her passion for animals. From assisting families with their real estate goals to being a proud supporter of the Hawai‘i Island Humane Society, Jenni is adamant about cultivating relationships and giving back wholeheartedly. With over 17 years as a Kona real estate expert, Jenni brings her polished reputation to serve various clientele with expertise on vacant land, luxury homes, and everything in between. Together with her team, she treats her clients to an unparalleled level of professionalism and customer service with Aloha. A multitude of clients have shared their testimony regarding Jenni’s added care in service. Some include her compelling staging talents, assisting buyers with temporary rental property, picking up pets from the Kona airport for a stress-free arrival, and her extended team of industry experts. Her success speaks for itself, Jenni has donated over $20 thousand dollars to Hawai‘i Island Humane Society to help the Big Island shelter animals this year. Also, you will see Jenni Lee every Thursday in the local newspaper promoting the “Pet of the Week.” She also donates her time to serve on the Hawai‘i Island

Humane Society Board of Directors. You can learn more about Jenni’s exceptional service and community involvement on her website at www.konaluxuryproperties.com

Like our domestic pets, farm animals have a place in our hearts too! If you need help transporting livestock animals to or from Hawaii, Jenni Lee can help you.

Corcoran Pacific Properties 75-5905 Walua Rd., Ste.9 Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 (808) 430-3022 | jenni.lee@corcoranpacific.com www.KonaLuxuryProperties.com

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Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Dylan Shropshire RS 74766

ylan Shropshire is a fifth-generation farmer who was raised on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, where he currently resides. Dylan grew up immersed in agriculture, learning how to cultivate a diverse selection of crops before joining the family real estate business at a young age. After graduating from the Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Dylan pursued an education in International Business and Finance, earning his Bachelor’s degree at the Shidler College of Business, University of Hawaii at Manoa. At the age of only 34, Dylan has already accumulated decades of experience in real estate development, investment, agriculture, and business startups. Alongside consistently ranking among the top three in total land sales for the entire East Side of the Big Island, Dylan is also a serial entrepreneur. He has founded several companies, including Big Island Grown, which has swiftly become one of the largest private employers in East Hawaii and the leading cannabis brand in the state. Other ventures include Vibe Café, a family-run vegetarian restaurant consistently recognized as the Best of East Hawaii, and his USDA certified organic farm. Leveraging his extensive background in farming and business, Dylan possesses unique expertise in

identifying ideal properties for his clients, whether it be their dream home, a productive farm, fertile land for cultivation, a lucrative investment opportunity, or even a serene backyard waterfall. With his profound understanding of the land and his clients’ specific needs, Dylan excels at finding the perfect fit for each individual, bringing their visions to life.

Specializing in exceptional agricultural properties and homes on the Big Island.

(808) 896-4079 | dylan@bigisland.market www.dylanshropshire.com

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2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Hawai‘i Island

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Carrie Nicholson Realtor®, BIC, RB-19302 Director, Hawaii Life One – Hawaii Island Hawaii Life – Forbes Global Properties

AHALO Hawaii Business Magazine for the recognition of Top Performer in 2023. Hawaii has continued to be an exceptional place to find refuge and to be remote. The high-end luxury market has been in demand like we’ve never seen before with record breaking sales throughout the State of Hawaii over the past couple of years. I could have never anticipated the level of real estate activity that we’ve experienced recently, which has led to selling over a billion dollars in sales volume in my career. I continue to help my clientele buy and/or sell real estate along the Kona Coast on Hawaii’s Big Island. Sharing my expertise as a local resident, providing first-hand knowledge and an in-depth understanding of the market has helped my clientele make informed decisions about choosing a home in the community. Feel free to contact me to schedule a private tour or chat about your real estate needs.

“At first, we were very impressed with her knowledge of the properties and the areas, but it didn’t take long for her wonderful, caring, open, and honest personality to shine through. We didn’t just find a house on the Big Island, but also a fantastic friend. Highly recommend her for any real estate transactions. You just won’t find anyone better. Guaranteed.” ~ A.N. | OCEANFRONT RESIDENCE

Naupaka Kai 1, Located within a stunning oceanfront community with 8 bedrooms, 6.5 baths. Listed at $7.250 million and Sold for $7.050 million. Listed and Sold by Carrie Nicholson, R(B), Hawaii Life. MLS#657148

Waterfalling Estate, Direct oceanfront with a 240-foot natural waterfall adjacent to the property with 9+ Acres. Listed at $5.750 million, Sold for $5.750 million. Listed and Sold by Carrie Nicholson, R(B), Hawaii Life. MLS #658607

(808) 896-9749 | Carrie@HawaiiLife.com Carrie-Nicholson.com | @carrierealestate

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Hawai‘i Island

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Leslie Oxley-Friedrich Realtor(S), RS-77328

background in Interior Design and Architecture, as well as a Degree in Integral Studies, has fostered my professional fulltime career in Real Estate. My deep affection and reverence for nature brought me to Hawaii, with its safe, pristine environment and rich culture rooted in venerated values and traditions. Interpreting my clients’ dreams and goals is my professional passion and privilege. My proven expertise and experience helps me to successfully navigate my clients through Hawaii’s magical diversity of microclimates, landscapes, and all that island style and aloha living has to offer. Outside of the office, I aspire to be a supermom. I am a self-admitted foodie. I adore traveling abroad (I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, an exquisitely European-esque city), quiet days in or on the sea, doing Pilates and dancing, hiking, getting lost in a delicious book, and taking photographs. I also cherish any and all family time while playing in the paradise I call home. Presently, I reside on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. I am a Realtor Salesperson with Hawaii Life and a member of the Hokuli’a Sales Team in the exceptional, exclusive resort style community of Hokulia.

“From the beginning, Leslie listened to us describe what we were looking for and almost immediately found us the perfect property. Since we live on the mainland, we could have easily felt distant and unconnected from the process, but her attention to detail and communication skills made us feel like we were her top priority. When we were finally able to fly over and see the property, she treated us like royalty. We could not be more thankful for finding such a hidden gem in Hokuli‘a.” -C.M. AND J.H.-HOKULIA

75-5783 KAKALINA ST, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Newly constructed in 2020, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath contemporary custom residence is a must see! Listed at $1.2 million by Leslie OxleyFriedrich, R(S), Hawaii Life. MLS# 667942

Hokulia Phase 1, Residence 8A Located within a stunning oceanfrontcommunity with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. Listed at $3.5 million and Sold for $3.6 million. Listed by Leslie OxleyFriedrich, R(S), Hawaii Life Hokulia Sales. MLS# 654798

(808) 937-0649 LeslieOxleyFriedrich@HawaiiLife.com www.hawaiilife.com/leslieoxleyfriedrich

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2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Maui

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Christopher Barca Founding Member - Compass Hawai‘i Realtor Broker, RB-20936

founding member of Compass Hawai’i, and “Christopher took all stress out of selling our home while ranked amongst the top of Maui agents, maximizing exposure and helping us to get top dollar. Christopher Barca counts 17 years of real From very first time we met with Christopher he came to estate experience on Maui—his home of table with a vision for our property and matched it with 22+ years now. A former location manager team and experience necessary to see it through seamlessly. for film and commercial agencies, he’s gained an No matter what issue, question, or concern came up along unprecedented level of access and intimate market way, Christopher was there by our side with an immediate knowledge of the island, much to the benefit of his answer or knew the right person to call. I wholeheartedly clients. He also brings his specialized eye for design and recommend Christopher!” -D.C. KULA SELLER architecture to his work—he was educated at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts and The University of Hawai’i. His ability to bring out the beauty in the homes he represents is one of his well-honed skills, as well as his ability to instantly recognize the potential in a house, investment property or commercial venture. He’s laid-back, but always all-in: Passionate about marketing presentations, dedicated to $7.250.000 14830 Haleakala Hwy - Kula $5.800.000 5375 Makena Road assisting and educating his clients throughout The “Haleakala Princess Estate” is a true A rare opportunity to build your Maui a transaction—whether they’re first-timers slice of island heritage. 7+ acres over 4 dream estate on one of Makena’s TMK’s each with their own water meter. last undeveloped, multigenerational, or seasoned investors—and invested in their 3.61 Acres includes House + Cottage + spacious, family-owned lots. 28,466 SF success for the long term. And no matter Studio + Office/Gym/Garage (4 Dwellings). property MLS#398112 the challenge, his signature dry wit can be www.HaleakalaPrincessEstate.com MLS#398904 counted on to carry the day.

(808) 269-1053 | christopher.barca@compass.com www.ChristopherBarca.realtor

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Maui

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Josh Jerman REALTOR-BROKER, RB-19728

want to thank my loyal clients for choosing my team to represent their Maui real estate interests. Raised in Upcountry Maui, I bring nearly 20 years of proven success in real estate sales. I also want to thank my team, including sales partners Tim Stice, R(B), Rich Wu, R(S), Souksamlane Jerman, R(S) and Executive Assistant Tammie Matsuura. Together, we run like a well-oiled machine. We ranked as Hawai‘i’s #1 small team in 2021, reaching $75.6M in sales (Real Trends), surpassing $150M in sales in 2021, and $78.5M in sales in 2022. Over the years, we have adapted swiftly to the changes in both the real estate market and the industry. I graduated cum laude with two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington. I’ve since traveled to 24 countries (and counting). I’ve hiked to Machu Picchu and Mount Everest Base Camp, canoed the Amazon River and swam in the Ganges, sailed in the South Pacific, trekked in the North Pole and touched the Great Wall of China. I developed an appreciation, awareness, and respect for all people throughout my adventures and was inspired to return home to serve my community. I have earned a solid reputation for professionalism, personal integrity, and hard work. In 2019, I was named Realtor Broker of the Year by the Realtors Association of Maui. Prior to that, I was also honored as the recipient of Maui County’s Young Business Person of the Year Award for 2012. I have held numerous positions with the Realtors Association of Maui (RAM) since 2005, including Director-at-Large I

(6 years) and I currently serve as co-chair of Professional Standards. Additionally, I currently serve as Chair of the Realtor Party for Hawaii Association of Realtors (HAR). My wife and I founded the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation, which has donated more than $65,000 to college-bound high school students across Maui County. I’m dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer service to achieve the best results for my clients. I want to thank the Maui community which sustains me personally and professionally.

Beachfront on Maui’s North Shore 0.33 ac | 4,646 sqft | 5BR / 6BA | $8.9M Located on the end of a quaint road in the town of Paia/ Kuau, this estate welcomes you in as you enter through the main gate where you’ll find yourself in a courtyard setting with a relaxed feel, elegant fountain, pool, and a Romeo and Juliet balcony above.

(808) 283-2222 Josh@HawaiiLife.com Josh.HawaiiLife.com

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2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Maui

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Lydia Pedro REALTOR BROKER

Alana Rucynski REALTOR SALESPERSON

ydia Pedro and Alana Rucynski were colleagues for ten years before establishing Top Maui Homes, combining their shared values and experience to create a leading real estate team. With an unparalleled knowledge and understanding of Maui’s real estate market, Top Maui Homes specialize in helping their clients realize their real estate needs. Their outstanding staging expertise shows properties in their best light to attain top value. Recognized as members of Maui’s Top 3% of Agents in 2020, 2021 and 2022, Lydia and Alana are industry leaders. In 2019 Alana was named Realtor Salesperson of the Year by the Realtors Association of Maui. In the past few years Top Maui Homes has grown to a team of four Realtors® with Darla Phillips and Terri Nicholson coming on board. All four team members share the same energy, passion, and values to deliver a complete sales and marketing experience to achieve their clients’ goals. They are in tune with and adept at navigating clients’ unique needs and circumstances. Giving back to the Maui community is a priority for the

Lydia Pedro (808) 283-8192 LydiaPedro@hawaiilife.com TopMauiHomes.com

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team and they are often volunteering at events and serving on various boards to help make Maui a better place. “Alana and her teammates are rockstars! In a very competitive market, Alana gave me excellent advice that led to success,” attests client Patti Hirami. “We specialize in you, our clients,” says Lydia Pedro. “We understand that each person, each relationship, and each situation is different, and we tailor how we work together to help you find your specific best solution.” In 2022 to better assist their growing clienteles needs Lydia & Alana branched out to begin serving clients on the island of Hawai’i and O’ahu .

Hapuna Beach Residence A-25, Kohala Coast, Hawaii Listed at $6,800,000

Alana Rucynski (808) 298-7455 AlanaRucynski@hawaiilife.com TopMauiHomes.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Maui

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Gladys N. Baran Realtor® RS-81649 MRP, Green Certified

ruly Blessed and Grateful for the opportunity to serve my clients and for their trust in me in all their real estate goals in Hawaii. Gladys is a local born and raised on the island of Oahu. Newly married to her husband Scott and four amazing children. Growing up on the island has allowed many experiences with local and military friends coming and going which allowed Gladys to specialize in first time home buyers and VA buyers. Working in the hospitality business prior to becoming a Real Estate Agent has allowed her to shine in her excellent customer service with a touch of aloha and provide outstanding communication skills while strategizing the best scenarios for all parties involved. Gladys provides knowledge of the current market trends and helps her clients understand the process of buying or selling their home. Gladys goes beyond the call for her clients and carries a strong work ethic. Gladys’s goal is to Always Exceed Expectations.

perfect place for us. As a first time home buyer, I was very nervous in the process and at times I didn’t know if I wanted to go through with it. Yet, Gladys not only helped me along the way with the process but taught me so much information that I will take with me for future purchases in my life! She is very professional and I knew I could always call her any time of the day to get some questions answered. She was very knowledgeable in the VA loan policies which helped me find a home that would be affordable for my income from the military. I could talk all day on how much I enjoyed working with Gladys. I can’t wait for our future plans together because I know I can trust her with everything! I highly recommend for you all to trust and allow Gladys to help you find your dream home or sell your homes!”– ELIJAHCORDERO14

“I don’t even know where to begin! Gladys was beyond amazing to work with! From the first time we spoke she treated my wife and I like family. In the world of real estate there are many agents who are in the job for the money but that’s not the case at all with Gladys! She truly cares for you as a client and went above and beyond to help us find the

Maui Luxury Real Estate 161 Wailea Ike Pl A-106 Wailea, HI 96753 (808) 600-7882 Baran808RealEstate@gmail.com

H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

2O23

Top Performers in Real Estate

Maui

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Lydia Pedro REALTOR BROKER

Alana Rucynski REALTOR SALESPERSON

Lydia Pedro (808) 283-8192 LydiaPedro@hawaiilife.com TopMauiHomes.com

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Hapuna Beach Residence A-25, Kohala Coast, Hawaii Listed at $6,800,000

Alana Rucynski (808) 298-7455 AlanaRucynski@hawaiilife.com TopMauiHomes.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Kaua‘i

Top Performers in Real Estate

2O23

Sean Ahearn & Jim Karlovsky Kaua‘i Real Estate Brokers

t’s with great gratitude and good fortune that we have been recognized as a Hawaii Business Magazine Top Performers designee yet again this year. It’s quite an honor and we’re humbled. We really appreciate the trust and confidence placed in Ahearn Karlovsky by our valued clients - it’s a significant responsibility and one that we take very seriously. We’re very grateful to all the folks at COMPASS for their continued support and also grateful to the other Kaua‘i realtors and the various real estate professionals from escrow to inspection to lending that cooperated and participated with us in this past year’s transactions. Thank you all very much – a challenging year to say the least. Each transaction represents a huge effort by all involved and is a significant accomplishment in their own right. Best of luck to everyone in 2023.

More than $485 million sold on Kaua‘i.

Sean Ahearn, RB Jim Karlovsky, RB aloha@akkauai.com 800.808.6373

COMPASS 2555 Ala Namahana Parkway Kilauea, HI 96754 ahearnkarlovsky.com

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A benefit to raise scholarship funds for University of Hawai‘i Travel Industry Management students

C E L E B R AT E A

Legacy IN TOURISM 2023 Honorees LEGACY IN TOURISM AWARD

TIM ALUMNI HALL OF HONOR AWARD

KEITH VIEIRA

CLINTON INOUYE

Principal, KV & Associates Hospitality Consulting, LLC

Retired, Freelance Photographer

BBA ’79

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

BBA ’80

MAHALO

TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS

Presenting

Silver

Sheraton Old Timers

Contributing

Hawaii

Alaska Airlines Bank of Hawai‘i First Hawaiian Bank KV & Associates & Stanford Carr Development Terri Fujii & Lawrence Rodriguez The Westin Maui, Trinity Investments & Oaktree Capital

Gold

Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association Hawaiian Airlines Hilton Hawaiian Village Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve TIM Alumni Association Trump International Hotel Waikiki United Laundry Zippy’s

Bronze

ABC Stores Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa Grumpy Old Men Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau Highgate Hawai’i Daniel K. Hilton Jay Shidler on behalf of the Shidler College of Business Ko Olina Kyo-ya Prince Resorts Hawaii Robert’s Hawaii Tihati Productions

aio Hawaii Friends and Family of Clinton K. Inouye Elite Parking Enterprise Halekulani Corporation Hawai‘i Convention Center Hawaii News Now Marriott Vacations Worldwide Outrigger Hospitality Group Shidler Alumni Association TIM Alumni Association University of Hawai‘i System University of Hawai‘i Foundation Waikiki Resort Hotel Y. Hata & Co. Limited Young Brothers

shidler.hawaii.edu/legacy-in-tourism

Media Sponsor

Hawai‘i’s Got

Inspired by this year’s 10th anniversary of Hawai‘i’s legalization of same-sex marriage, Hawaii Business Magazine is publishing this series of profiles of leaders in the LGBTQ+ community. STORIES B Y K A T H R Y N D R U R Y W A G N E R PHOTOGRAP HY BY A A R O N Y O S H I N O

“INCLUSIVITY IS TRULY WELCOMING ALL THE DIVERSE PEOPLE AND POINTS OF VIEW” Beth Whitehead Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer at American Savings Bank

Next 20” 2015 cohort, and spearheading a massive project: ASB Campus, an 11-story, 373,000-square-foot office building and headquarters. It opened in 2019. “The campus is vital to our culture,” says Whitehouse, who just celebrated 15 years at American Savings Bank. “The campus is for everyone in the company, not just people assigned to work in the building; even Neighbor Island employees, we make sure they are in for training. It’s the hub. It’s democratized our experience, and it’s the right message.” In addition to her official title – executive VP and chief administrative officer – Whitehead has a self-appointed one: chief fun officer. Under her leadership, ASB has been recognized by Hawaii Business Magazine as a Best Place to Work for 14 consecutive years, including placing No. 1 this year on the large employer list for Most Family Friendly Company and Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality. What’s her secret sauce for creating this kind of workplace? “The reason the wins are repeated is because we mean it. We don’t take employees for granted. We listen. Everyone needs to feel important, and your executives aren’t more valued than your tellers. We build that into everything we do.” Whitehead, who grew up in Arkansas, has a law degree. She and her wife, Linda Lockwood, have been together 23 years and married since 2014. They have two

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dogs, and enjoy gardening, entertaining at home and going to the theater. She is a board member for Girls Scouts of Hawai‘i, Child and Family Service and the Hawai‘i Theatre Center. “The world has certainly changed since I entered the workplace,” Whitehead reflects. “When I started working in the early 1990s, (LBGTQ+) people had to live two lives. There were scary consequences of being out. That’s completely changed. It’s an amazing thing that companies are now celebrating inclusivity.”

But for businesses, celebrating it and living it are slightly different, Whitehead says. “I am always cognizant that inclusivity is truly welcoming all the diverse people and points of view in a workplace. The external messages can send a message but the internal factors, that’s what’s real and not just marketing. It’s great that people entering the workforce now can see people in business who are gay and thriving. But anyone, anything they are, if there’s a workplace where they feel they can thrive, that is wonderful.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK

WHEN I LAST CAUGHT UP WITH BETH W H I T E H E A D , she was in the “20 for the

GROUNDBREAKING BAR TOOK 4 YEARS TO MAKE MONEY, BUT IT STILL THRIVES TODAY Jack Law Co-Founder and Owner of Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand

“LET’S START A BAR! HOW HARD CAN IT BE?”

The year was 1974, and Jack Law admits that he and his business partner, Bob Magoon, knew nothing about running a bar. Still, they must have had a good plan, as Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand is still going strong. Law was born in Philadelphia and raised in Michigan and West Palm Beach, Florida. He arrived in Hawai‘i in 1966, and soon became friends with Magoon, a local businessman and songwriter. “We started a band, the Potted Palm – it was the ’60s – and I managed the group and a few others in Waikīkī. At that time, it was truly awash in live music.” Hula’s opened at the corner of Kūhiō Avenue and Kālaimoku Street. (It moved to the Waikīkī Grand in 1998.) Despite their initial optimism, Law and Magoon found that running a bar was not, in fact, easy. “It took four years of losing money, and I mean a lot of money, before we turned a profit. “People ask if this was the first LGBTQ+ bar, and it was not,” says Law. “Waikīkī has always been a destination for LGBTQ+ people. But Hula’s was unique, open air, and disco was just starting.” Law and Magoon also opened the now defunct Wave Waikīkī in 1980, which, Law says, “had a totally different vibe. The later it got, the crazier it got.” About five years before Magoon’s death in 2018, Law bought his interest out, and became sole owner. Now that he’s semiretired, Law enjoys traveling, with recent trips to Peru, Panama and Argentina. Law was a founding member of the Life Foundation, a nonprofit that helps

those with HIV/AIDS. “We started it in the nick of time,” Law recalls. “AIDS was horrendous. We were going to funerals once a week. The church didn’t want to have anything to do with them [people with AIDS], the government didn’t want to, their families didn’t want to. We got some good grants and some good legislation. The organization is, as we speak, still doing good things.” He also founded the nonprofit Honolulu Gay and Lesbian Cultural

Foundation in 1997. It serves as an umbrella organization for the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, originally started by Law as the Adam Baran Honolulu Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 1989, in honor of his friend. “It’s one of the oldest and most respected LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world,” says Law. His advice for those doing business with the LGBTQ+ community? It’s simple: “I’d say it’s respect. Respect and aloha.”

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HOTEL’S VISION: “TO BE A HUB, A WONDERFUL MIX” FOR EMPLOYEES AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Ha‘aheo Zablan GM at the Kaimana Beach Hotel

FOR HA‘AHEO ZABLAN, A SIDE HUSTLE

opened the door to a stellar career. He was working at Macy’s in visual merchandising – “it was great, but not necessarily what I wanted to do long-term” – when he noticed that The 98

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Kahala Hotel & Resort was looking for a part-time bellhop. “It was close to my other job and I thought, ‘oh, a night job.’ Very quickly, I realized it was an environment I thrived in.” He moved to the front office, working as a concierge, before the Mouse called. At Disney’s Aulani, “I had all these amazing opportunities,” Zablan says. He worked in VIP guest services, and even met Disney CEO Bob Iger. “Disney is known for its high-end service,” says Zablan. “I really got to hone those skills.” He was promoted to various leader-

ship roles at Aulani, including front-office guest services manager, housekeeping manager, and food and beverage manager, before moving to the Waikiki Beach Marriott for another management role. Now, as GM at Kaimana Beach Hotel, Zablan relishes working at a smaller, high-end property. “We have 122 rooms and 150 employees,” he notes. With Zablan at the helm, Kaimana Beach Hotel was named to the 2022 Travel + Leisure It List, which honors the world’s top 100 “most memorable, game-changing hotels.” Zablan was born and mostly raised on O‘ahu, on the Papakōlea Hawaiian homestead, with some time spent in California too. He views himself as a servant leader. “When you look at your org chart, usually your GM sits on top, but I see it the opposite. I am the base holding up this team, encouraging them and providing leadership opportunities for them.” Zablan and his partner, Jonathan Hall, a pipeline integrity engineer, recently bought a house in Wailupe. “So that’s now our hobby,” he says. “The house, the yard.” Zablan is board VP for Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center, helping underserved communities with programs for smoking cessation, needle exchanges and housing. “I am hyperfocused on creating job opportunities, things like internships here at the hotel, to provide meaningful work so people can support their housing.” He also volunteers on the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation board, which conducts Honolulu Pride in October. At Kaimana Beach Hotel, he says, “There are team members who identify as LGBTQ+ and those who don’t, but they are supportive. Our approach is to be a hub, a wonderful mix of the creative community, kama‘āina, LGBTQ+, for those who work here and for the community at large.”

“IT’S STRESSFUL TO NOT SHARE WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU’RE AT WORK” Francine Naoko Beppu VP, Integrated Marketing at NMG Network

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY. AFTER VISI T I N G N E W Y O R K C I T Y in grade school,

Francine Naoko Beppu was mesmerized. “I loved that energy and the lights, the musicals, the shows,” says Beppu, who was born and raised in Nu‘uanu. “Hawai‘i is such a beautiful place and we are so blessed to live here, but I really wanted to live in a big city,” she says. She got her wish, attending NYU’s Stern School of Business, then liv-

ing in New York and working at Sony Electronics. At Viacom, she helped launch Logo, the first LGBTQ+ cable channel. After returning to O‘ahu in 2007, she was a digital strategy consultant, including for KHON. Today, the music and tech enthusiast is VP of integrated marketing at NMG Network, which has video content such as Lei TV, a guide to Hawai‘i for the LGBTQ+ traveler; custom, in-room travel channels for many hotels; and multiple publications, including Hana Hou! and Flux. Her media finesse comes naturally. “My mom was an actor and a singer in Japan in the 1960s,” she says, “and I’m a big TV and movie buff.” But growing up, she says, “I was never out and never comfortable in my own skin.” Then, “for a few years into my career, I wasn’t out. It affects you. It’s stressful to not share who you are when you’re at work. I see a trend in larger companies having a DI program,” she says, referring to diversity and inclusion programs. “I think there’s been progress in understanding the complexities, and happy employees make better workers.” Beppu lives in Kaka‘ako and has a girlfriend, Annah. In her spare time, she says, she loves dancing and live music – “all sorts of music, any genre of music!” She’s also discovered the meditative qualities of fishing and enjoys casting a line. Some of her most meaningful contributions, she says, are tied to her longtime volunteer work at the Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation; she currently serves on its advisory board. “The Honolulu Pride Parade became the largest parade in the state in 2019, pre-Covid, and it’s been growing exponentially. Our work was important especially during Covid, when people were losing their jobs and feeling very isolated. Hawai‘i is small but we all help each other. Pride is a prime example. People from all backgrounds, we all come together to celebrate the community.” H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RIDE THE “SKYLINE” by C HAVONNI E RAMOS

THE HE AD OF THE R AIL AUTHORIT Y SAYS THE BIRD’ S- EYE VIEW FROM THE FIRST 10 .75 MILES OF THE R AIL SYSTEM IS BE AUTIFUL – LIKE A DIS NEYL AND RIDE . YOU CAN TRY IT YOURS ELF STARTING JUNE 3 0 .

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K Ū WI LI IWILEI H Ō L A U C H I N AT O W N KULOLOIA DOWNTOWN KA‘ĀKAUKUKUI CIVIC CENTER KŪKULUAE‘O KAKA‘AKO KĀLIA ALA MOANA CENTER

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF HART; MAP ILLUSTRATION: AMY LOWE

SOURCE: HART

WHEN LORI KAHIKINA TOOK OVER THE HONOLULU RAIL PROJECT IN JANUARY 2021, SHE FACED THE FALLOUT FROM MORE THAN A DECADE OF BAD DECISIONS, BILLIONS IN COST OVERRUNS, SCATHING AUDITS AND PUBLIC ANGER.

VISIT THIS STORY AT HAWAIIBUSINESS.COM FOR A VIDEO AND SLIDESHOW.

“(IT) WAS LIKE A BIG FIRE D R I L L , C O N S T A N T LY . Wherever

you turn around, it felt like it was daily, just daggers being thrown at us,” she says. “Everyone we touched was mad at us.” Kahikina could not undo those past blunders, but she and her team at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation got the rail project moving forward. So you can understand her elation with the opening of rail’s first section on June 30. “When you get on there, it is beautiful,” says Kahikina, executive director and CEO of HART. She calls it a “Disneyland ride” because passengers on the elevated rail line and at the stations can look out the windows for bird’seye views of O‘ahu they won’t get from a car or bus. HART now calls the rail system “Skyline.”

“A LONG TIME COMING”

he initial segment runs from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium, with nine stations spread along that 10.75-mile section. Trains are scheduled to come every 10 minutes and passengers can bring on larger items that are not allowed on city buses such as luggage, coolers – even surfboards. Overhead racks are available and people can bring their bikes on board, too. “It’s such a long time coming and so many people have raised issues and concerns, and it’s been delayed,” says Rick Keene, deputy director and COO of HART. After numerous trial runs, Keene says he and Kahikina had the confidence to say, “Yes, we’re finally going to open that first segment.” Jon Nouchi, deputy director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services, says the initial section gives riders the chance to get to know the rail system. “A lot of people might not use rail every day, but they will find

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ways to integrate and use it in other things that they haven’t imagined yet,” he says. NO CASH ACCEPTED; GET THE CARD

ouchi says riding Skyline will be like using another route in the city’s bus and Handi-Van network. Single fares for the rail cost the same as TheBus and have the same transfer and fare-capping privileges. The main form of payment will be the HOLO card, which is already being used on TheBus. No cash will be accepted, so occasional riders will still need a HOLO card, which can be purchased for $2 at ticket vending machines at every rail station. Riders must load money into the card, either at the station, participating stores or online at holocard.net. One-way rides for adults will cost $3 with a daily cap of $7.50, just like on TheBus. The same monthly bus passes, fare capping and reduced fares on TheBus for youth, seniors and people with disabilities will apply to rail. After riders tap their HOLO cards at a fare gate, they will have 2.5 hours of unlimited rides. Transfers from rail are good on TheBus and vice versa. There are park and ride locations at three stations: UH West O‘ahu, Ho‘opili and Aloha Stadium. For now, Skyline will operate from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Monitors at the stations will show arrival times. Nouchi says the trains will average

30 mph and estimates a trip from East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium will take about 20 minutes. Each train has four cars and is about 256 feet long – about the length of four 60-foot articulated city buses, Nouchi says. In total, 642 passengers can fit in each train. HART expects to open the portion of the rail to the airport in 2025, with the remainder of the 18.9-mile system targeted to open in 2030. City Department of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton says the system is now expected to cost the city $94 million to operate in its first year, including $54 million paid to its operator, Hitachi Rail. BUS AND RAIL INTEGRATION

hough most of the city’s bus routes will be unchanged, the city is adding 60,000 hours of bus service a year at a cost of about $6 million. Nouchi says route modifications and added service will provide “enhanced transit connections” along the first segment of the rail and serve areas where rail has not yet opened. One revised bus line is Route A, which, for now, runs from Waipahu to UH Mānoa. The new route will start at the Pearlridge rail station and end at UH Mānoa. Nouchi

“

A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT USE RAIL EVERY DAY, BUT THEY WILL FIND WAYS TO INTEGRATE AND USE IT IN OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVEN’T IMAGINED YET.” JON NOUCHI DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HONOLULU DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HART

The inside of a train car has overhead racks where people can store large items such as luggage and surfboards.

says it will be a faster ride because the new route will not service Waipahu or Kalihi anymore. After it reaches the Aloha Stadium station, the bus will take the freeway to get to Downtown Honolulu. Commuters on the old Route A line out of Waipahu can opt to take the train from Waipahu to Aloha Stadium, and then switch over to TheBus to continue their commute. Riders who need to go towards Middle Street and King Street can catch the modified Route 1L starting at Aloha Stadium. Some of the new express bus routes will run from Aloha Stadium to areas in the urban core every 10 minutes or so, according to Nouchi. Nouchi says buses and trains will be scheduled to arrive at rail stations at similar times, allowing passengers to transfer with minimal delay. The new bus schedules start on July 1. The city has a safety plan in case something happens on board the trains, and three levels of security: staff, contracted security and Honolulu police. Although the trains are driverless, security guards will patrol the stations. The system has about 2,000

surveillance cameras. Riders can press an emergency button on the train if they feel unsafe and emergency call boxes are on station platforms. “We always rely on them (our riders) to ‘If you see something, say something,’ ” says Nouchi. If a train stops in the middle of the track, system operators, law enforcement and emergency service agencies can be dispatched to assist. HELP IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS

eanwhile, the rest of the rail project is going forward, with most of the construction work making its way toward Downtown Honolulu. To reduce slowdowns, left turns are restricted in Kalihi from Kamehameha Highway, Dillingham Boulevard and driveways. Only one lane each way goes westbound and eastbound. Honolulu police and on-site personnel are stationed along the construction route to help motorists and pedestrians who may be confused by the cones, according to Joey Manahan, HART’s director of government relations and public involvement. He says traffic in Kalihi flows at normal speeds on most days, though there may be five-minute delays during peak hours at lunch and in the afternoon. HART worked

with the operators of the Google and Apple map apps to show users routes that do not require left turns in the construction area. Manahan says HART has been in contact with 207 businesses along the Dillingham Boulevard and Kamehameha Highway corridor since construction started last October. Since then, Manahan says, HART has not received any formal complaints from the businesses claiming they lost revenue because of the construction. HART teams help those businesses by coordinating access entries, signage and maps. Kahikina believes HART’s reputation “has improved dramatically” over the past two years, though project “naysayers” remain. “This is a major infrastructure project, and so people don’t realize the things that we’re dealing with on a daily basis,” she says, like a concrete shortage or contractors hitting a sewer line. “There are always going to be things that go wrong, and it happened to us with the hammerheads and with the wheels,” says Keene. “It will happen again, and the difference is how you deal with those problems.” H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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GLOBAL MUSIC PHENOMENON AMERICA'S FIRST 100,000 WATT ASIAN POP RADIO STATION

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KUKULU HALE AWARDS R ECO G N IZI N G E XCELLEN CE I N HAWAI ‘ I ’ S CO M M ERCIAL R E AL E STATE I N D U STRY

Design that

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connects. Design cultivates and strengthens family, neighborhoods, and our greater community.

Hale Makana O Maili

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N A I O P H AWA I I ’ S 2 6TH A N N UA L

TA B L E O F CONTENTS

KUKULU HALE AWARDS

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NAIOP Hawaii has served as the state’s foremost association of development industry leaders and decision-makers since 1988.

2023 Kukulu Hale Jurors & Awards Committee

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Kukulu Hale Award Sponsors

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Developer of the Year

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Lifetime Achievement Award

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Outstanding Service Award

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Kukulu Hale Award Winners

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Our annual Kukulu Hale Awards program celebrates the best of Hawaii’s commercial real estate industry, honoring individuals and organizations that have enriched our community through their projects, professional achievements and civic service. We invite you to read about this year’s awardees and distinguished entries in the following pages. Special honorees include Hunt Development Group, Developer of the Year; Harry A. Saunders, Lifetime Achievement; Corbett Kalama, Outstanding Service Award; and PBR Hawaii, Design Firm of the Year. On behalf of our board of directors and NAIOP Hawaii’s 180-plus members, I extend deepest gratitude to our Kukulu Hale sponsors, jurors and committee members. Their generous support makes this year’s program possible. Mahalo!

Design Firm of the Year

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Distinguished Entries

J E N N I FE R CAM P, AIA

2023 President, NAIOP Hawaii

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NAIOP Hawaii Chapter Awards

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Corporate Sponsors 2023 Board of Directors

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Francisco Gutierrez

SVP, Development Alexander & Baldwin

George Leong

SVP & Team Leader, Commercial Real Estate Division, First Hawaiian Bank

Troy Miyasato, AIA Principal, Ferraro Choi

Tammie Oka

Proposal Lead, Pacific District, Hensel Phelps

Liz Parrish

Vice President and Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer, Bank of Hawai‘i

Mahalo to Paul Cool and his staff at John Child & Company for making their conference room available for reviewing and judging this year’s entries. Photo, top, from left : Troy Miyasato, Tammie Oka and Francisco Gutierrez; photo, right: Liz Parrish and George Leong

KUKULU HALE AWARDS COMMITTEE

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Jennifer Camp and Catherine Camp, Co-Chairs

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Liana Dietz Francisco Gutierrez Ken Hayashida Larry Heim

Mike Imanaka Glen Kaneshige Bryan Li Mele Pochereva

Barbie Rosario Sunny Rosario Leighton Yuen

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2 O 2 3 K U K U L U H A L E AWA R D S P O N S O R S

I LI MA S PO N SO RS

MAI LE S PO N SO RS

PI K AKE S PO N SO RS

Old Republic Title & Escrow Title Guaranty Hawaii

Mahalo to this year’s honorees for not just imagining HONOREES

a better Hawai‘i, but building it.

CORBETT KALAMA HARRY A. SAUNDERS HUNT DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Bank of Hawai‘i congratulates this year’s 2023 Kukulu Hale Major Award winners, Corbett Kalama, Harry A. Saunders and Hunt Development Group. Thanks to their passion and vision, Hawai‘i is building a stronger foundation for the future. N A I O P H AWA I I

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DEVELOPER OF TH E YEAR – KU HO‘OKELA AWARD

ith more than 30 years of service in Hawai‘i, Hunt Development Group has long been recognized for its innovative use of underutilized government properties and its commitment to creating premier master-planned communities that complement the cultural and geographical riches of the Hawaiian Islands. To date, Hunt has developed eight projects on four islands and has grown to become the second largest owner of multi-family homes in the state. These projects reflect the company’s deep roots in public-private

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partnerships and pioneering projects. Since 2009, Hunt has invested tens of millions of dollars to redevelop Kalaeloa, adding hundreds of new jobs in West O‘ahu and attracting local businesses like Servco Pacific, Five Star

Transportation and DTRIC Insurance as well as essential community services like Tripler Army Medical Center’s Warrior ‘Ohana Medical Home and DreamHouse Charter School, which opened its campus in 2019 to serve Leeward families. By far Hunt’s most ambitious undertaking in Hawai‘i is the development, revitalization and management of more than 500 entitled acres and 500,000 square feet of industrial and commercial space in Kalaeloa (formerly Naval Air Station Barbers Point). In June 2021, Hunt began infrastructure construction and significant road improvements in Kalaeloa to prepare the area for the fu-

PHOTO BY THE IMAGE GROUP COURTESY OF GOODFELLOW BROS

Hunt Development Group

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ture Daniel Kahikina Akaka Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic and 389 new homes being built by Gentry Homes. Over the next two decades, the company will continue to transform Kalaeloa into a thriving, mixed-use community with new housing and jobs for local residents. Hunt is as committed to giving back to the community as it is to creating new communities. In 2022, Hunt Hawai‘i supported the community with over $117,000 in donations to Hawaii nonprofits, primarily in the areas of education, the environment and protecting Hawai‘i’s heritage. This included the donation of 3,000 gallons of water every week to Kalaeloa Heritage Park, and continues in 2023, to protect the park’s cultural, historical and archaeological landscape. Hunt’s Hawai‘i team participates in 35 Hawai‘i organizations, serves on 17 boards of directors, and attended 22 Neighborhood Board Meetings in 2022. “For more than 30 years, Hunt has endeavored to be an industry leader

IS “ HAWAI’I OUR HOME

AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING AND LIVING WITH ALOHA.” — Steve Colón, President, Development, Hawai’i Division

Photo, opposite page: Kalaeloa development; above, Steve Colón.

in development, while also making a positive mark on our island community,” said Steve Colón, president of Hunt Companies’ Development Division in Hawai‘i. ‘Over these three decades we’ve had successful projects in every county across the state, allowing new entrepreneurs to open businesses, providing homes for working families and creating truly unique environments for students to live and learn. “This would not have been possible without an outstanding team that is

absolutely committed to Hawai‘i. Real estate development is extremely challenging – as anyone involved in NAIOP knows – but our team understands how to face adversity and find innovative strategies to deliver on our projects. “I’m also incredibly proud that our culture at Hunt encourages giving back. Each and every one of our team members is engaged in supporting the community, through volunteer service on boards and other nonprofit initiatives. Hawai‘i is our home and we are committed to working and living with aloha.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF HUNT’S CURRENT PROJECTS

Wākea Garden Apartments Wākea Garden Apartments is Hunt’s first residential project in Kalaeloa. Formerly a bachelor officers’ quarters for the U.S. Navy, Wākea opened in June 2015 and was renovated in 2020. The company invested approximately $12 million to transform the dilapidated property into a 100-unit reserved-housing rental complex for local families.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF HUNT’S CURRENT PROJECTS

Āhuimanu ‘Āhuimanu is a new, 42,000-square-foot retail center on the Garden Island featuring a mix of businesses and community services. Anchored by the 12,700 square-foot grocery store-restaurant, Kīlauea Market + Café, tenants are established Kaua‘i companies expanding their operations from other parts of the island to better serve customers on the North Shore or new local small businesses. As of June 2022, ‘Āhuimanu is fully leased, despite the economic challenges and disruptions over the pandemic.

Servco Pacific Office

Congratulations to all the 2023 NAIOP Kūkulu Hale Participants & Awardees!

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHITECHTS HAWAII LTD.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HUNT’S CURRENT PROJECTS

Hālawa View Apartments II Hunt is partnering with Pacific Development Group to develop Hālawa View Apartments II, a new 300-unit affordable rental community located in ‘Aiea. Construction of the $168 million project is slated to begin in May 2023 and finish in early 2025.

University of Hawai‘i Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs (RISE) Opening to students in fall 2023, RISE is a first-of-its-kind “live-learn-work” student housing community developed through a public-private partnership between Hunt Development Group, University of Hawai‘i and the University of Hawai‘i Foundation. The $70 million project features dormitory residences and an innovation and entrepreneurship center that will bring together students from a variety of academic disciplines to collaborate, create and build their own startup companies. RISE also will be home to the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE).

Daniel Kahikina Akaka VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic The Daniel Kahikina Akaka Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Kalaeloa will be a nearly 90,000 square-foot multi-specialty Veterans Affairs clinic providing primary care, mental health care, x-ray, laboratory, diagnostic, pharmacy and specialty care for Hawai‘i’s veterans. Once complete, the clinic will provide essential services to an estimated 87,000 veterans on O‘ahu.

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L I F E T I M E A C H I E V E M E N T – H O L O P O N O AWA R D

Harry A. Saunders President, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i

URING A REMARKABLE CAREER that now spans

nearly five decades, Harry Saunders has learned the ins and outs of real estate development from the bottom up. He was 25 years old when he joined Castle & Cooke in 1975 as a salesperson for Mililani Town, the company’s flagship project and Hawai‘i’s first master-planned community. Harry Saunders ascended to his current position in 2001, and along the way gained experience in land planning; entitlement; site design and construction; project management; construction; and even warranty and customer service well after the completion of a project. During his tenure, Harry Saunders has overseen 15 development projects, and the company has provided 13,616 homes for Hawai‘i families, of which 6,879 were affordable homes. He has learned from, and provided input to, five Hawai‘i governors and 13 mayors: 7 on O‘ahu, 3 on Maui and 3 on Hawai‘i Island. Harry Saunders

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also has been instrumental in setting a path of diversification needed to sustain Castle & Cooke into the future. He spearheaded the company’s expansion of agritourism with the development of Dole Plantation and was very involved in converting the island of Lāna‘i from a single-industry pineapple plantation into a visitor destination with two hotels and golf courses while also overseeing the island’s operations and civic services. A native of Hawai‘i and a product of Hawai‘i’s public school system, Harry Saunders upholds a deep passion and commitment to make Hawai‘i a better, sustainable, enjoyable place for those who live here. NAIOP Hawaii asked him to share other highlights of his career. What was it like being involved in the development/sales for Mililani Town, Hawai‘i’s first master-planned community? H S : Working for the developer first as a salesperson, then sales manager then onto a larger role in all the operations of Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i was a great opportunity to learn not only the people side of our industry, but I was able to learn from some of the brightest and most talented people in the industry with a long history in Hawai‘i. I got to see many aspects of community development, in both the residential and commercial sectors. Did you ever imagine you would still be at Castle & Cooke 45+ years later – and leading its Hawai‘i operations? H S : I never thought I’d be with the company this long and never considered running the Hawai‘i operations for 20+ years. When I was first hired and going through the onboarding I remember the director of human resources discussing the benefits of the company

such as health care and the pension plan that I totally tuned out. I was 25 years old, in perfect health, and retirement was not even in my thoughts. Just goes to show how much you know at 25, as I’m still here! I still haven’t figured out retirement, so I guess it’ll be a while before I truly understand the company retirement benefits. What have you found most rewarding about your work? H S : The opportunity to work with so many amazing and smart people, both within our company and throughout the community. I have been able to help complete one huge community (Mililani) and start another master-planned community (Koa Ridge), all for the residents of Hawai‘i. I have overseen land management of large tracts of agricultural lands and helped to promote agriculture in Hawai‘i. I was smart enough to heed the wise counsel of one of my main mentors, Mr. Wally Miyahira, to give back to our community via involvement in the many non-profit organizations serving our community. I have greatly enjoyed working with many boards including Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Business Roundtable, Hawaii Nature Center, Bishop Museum, Hawaii Employers Council, Military Affairs Council, UH Foundation, and HomeAid Hawaii. At the end of the day, I have never been bored and love the challenge of giving back to our home state of Hawai‘i and its people. Is there a “secret” to your success that others might learn from? H S : Love what you do, do it with patience, do it with persistence, do it with integrity and honesty, and always greet the day with a smile and a laugh, and don’t stop.

Mahalo for a Lifetime Dedicated to Building Communities for Hawaiʻi SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Celebrating a Lifetime of Excellence • Over 13,500 Homes for Hawai‘i Families • Over 6,800 Affordable Homes Completed • Developed the Award-Winning Mililani Master-Planned Community • Built 15 New Home Communities on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, and the Island of Lanaʻi • Spearheaded the Visionary Plan for Koa Ridge, a Groundbreaking “Surban” Community That Will Include Over 3,500 New Homes

Congratulations

on receiving the esteemed Holo Pono Lifetime Achievement Award, a testament to your unwavering commitment to building thriving communities and providing homes for Hawaiʻi families.

Harry A. Saunders, III President, Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i

Over the course of your distinguished forty-eightyear tenure at Castle & Cooke, your profound dedication and passion have been instrumental in transforming Hawai‘i into a more sustainable, vibrant, and welcoming place for residents and visitors alike. Your remarkable achievements inspire us all, and we are honored to be led by such a visionary. - Your Castle & Cooke ‘Ohana

Castle & Cooke congratulates all of this year’s Kukulu Hale award participants and honorees. Your ongoing commitment to excellence makes a difference in the lives of so many Hawaiʻi families. Individually, we build homes, schools, shopping centers, and more. Together, we build community. Investing In Hawai‘i Creating Communities Delivering Dreams

CASTLECOOKEHAWAII.COM

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Nationally-recognized, Hawaiʻi-focused. SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Active in Hawai‘i for over 30-years 2nd largest landowner of multi-family homes in Hawai‘i Master developer; 8 projects on 3 islands Over 4,000,000 sf of commercial and yard space Public-private partnerships Proud to be named

Kalaeloa

Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic

2023 NAIOP Hawai‘i Developer of the Year

737 Bishop Street, Ste. 2750 Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 585-7900 | HuntCompaniesHawaii.com

Congratulations Congratulations to all the 2023 NAIOP to all the 2023 NAIOP Kūkulu Hale Participants Kūkulu Hale Participants & Awardees! & Awardees!

RISE

Ala Moana Center Ala Moana Center

Ka Makana Ali‘i Ka Makana Ali‘i

Mahalo to all of our clients for trusting in us. Mahalo to all of our clients for trusting in us.

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Kosasa Grades 2-3 Neighborhood at Punahou School Kosasa Grades 2-3 Neighborhood

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Corbett Kalama

ORBETT KAL AMA OF-

TEN CREDITS his humble childhood and his parents’ deep-rooted native Hawaiian culture for the person he is today. As one of 11 children, he grew up in a family that didn’t have material wealth but was enriched by community-centered values that later would inform his successful business career, including respect for all people and taking care of those less fortunate. Following 32 years of service with First Hawaiian Bank, where he rose to the position of executive vice president and manager of the bank’s Wealth Management Group, Kalama joined the Hawai‘i Office of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation in 2013, serving as vice president of real estate investments and community affairs. In 2018 he was promoted to executive vice president, responsible for management of all Hawai‘i operations, including

its $1 billion-plus real estate portfolio, which funds a large portion of the foundation’s grantmaking nationwide, including the annual distribution of $12 million in grants to local nonprofits. During his tenure, Kalama also was the foundation’s key public representative in the state’s business, philanthropic and government sectors. He retired from the Weinberg Foundation at the end of last year. A story by Hawaii Business Magazine Managing Editor Cynthia Wessendorf (“Passing the Torch at the Weinberg Foundation,” Hawaii Business, June 7, 2022), describes Kalama’s enduring impact on the foundation and its philanthropic contributions in the areas of housing, health, jobs, education and community services. And the story shares insights from the two executives who now co-lead the foundation’s Hawai‘i office: Giorgio Calderone, vice president of Hawai‘i operations and real estate, and Marisa Castuera Hayase, managing director of Hawai‘i programs and communications. “Corbett has got an amazing heart and is a tireless advocate for anyone who is less fortunate,” Caldarone told Hawaii Business. “He is also a warrior who fights for what is right.” “He really operates from a sense of valuing every person in our community,” Hayase added. “He’s just as likely to seek counsel from a neighbor who’s unsheltered and living on the streets as

“ CORBETT

HAS GOT AN AMAZING HEART AND IS A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR ANYONE WHO IS LESS FORTUNATE ” — Giorgio Calderone, Vice President of Hawai‘i Operations and Real Estate, Weinberg Foundation

he is from a banking president. I wish there were more leaders like him who really cared deeply about listening to so many different perspectives from people of so many different walks of life.” Kalama came out of his brief “retirement” in March to take the helm of Resco, Inc., the parent company of locally owned real estate brokerage Locations. As president and CEO he oversees the overall operations of the company, including the firm’s core brokerage activities, and institutional and developer relationships. He remains actively involved with numerous boards and community organizations. He serves as a director on the boards of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation, and he is president of Friends of Hawaii Charities.

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N EW PROJ EC T AWAR D – CO M M E RCIAL /OTH E R OVE R 40,000 S F

N EW PROJ ECT AWARD – COM M ERCIAL/OTH ER 40,000 SF OR LES S

Hale Makana O Maili

311 Puuhue Place

Entrant: AHL Co-Developer/Owners: Ikenakea Development (Hawaii Community Development Board, 3Leaf Holdings, Pacific Development Group) Lead Design Firm: AHL General Contractor: Moss & Associates

Entrant: Bank of Hawai‘i Developer/Owner: HNL Development LLC Lead Design Firm: Interlock LLC General Contractor: IC Construction Inc.

ALE MAKANA O MAILI IS AN AFFORDABLE GARDEN-STYLE HOUSING COMPLEX that

builds community, respects culture, and invests in sustainability. The project provides the Wai‘anae community with 52 residential units: 25 one-bedroom, 20 two-bedroom, and 7 three-bedroom units for individuals and families. The siting of six buildings encourages a sense of community. The dwellings face an interior garden park that includes a trellised picnic area, a children’s playground, a tot lot that allows kids to play in a safe environment, and provides an outdoor gathering space.

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11 PUUHUE PL ACE IS THE FIRST BILL 7 PROJ-

ECT completed in the City and County of Honolulu through recently approved legislation that encourages developers to increase the affordable rental housing inventory through various incentives. Located in Lower Liliha, this newly constructed 5-story true walk-up apartment building comprises 25 one-bedroom affordable rental units and nine parking stalls. The project is situated at the former site of an abandoned single-family home built in the 1940s and was redeveloped on just 5,000 square feet of land.

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R E N OVATI O N AWAR D – CO M M E RCIAL /OTH E R OVE R 40,000 S F

R E N OVATI O N AWAR D – CO M M E RCIAL /OTH E R 40,000 S F O R LE S S

Turtle Bay Resort Renovation

Servco Pacific Office

Entrant: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. Developer/Owner: BRE Turtle Bay Resorts LLC Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture General Contractor: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

URTLE BAY RESORT’S BIGGEST RENOVATION SINCE OPENING IN 1973 re-invents the North

Shore’s only full-service resort into a vibrant gathering place for visitors and kama‘āina. Nearly every aspect of the hotel experience has been transformed to immerse guests in the area’s dramatic landscape and rich culture. The renovation’s intuitive design encompasses a light-filled lobby with panoramic windows that heighten the expansive ocean views. Refreshed guestrooms and luxuriously appointed ballrooms further convey Hawai‘i’s sense of place.

Entrant: G70 & Allied Builders System Developer/Owner: Servco Pacific Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Allied Builders System

HE SERVCO PACIFIC OFFICE RENOVATION

breathes new life into an old office, making it light and bright, and creating space for the community of Servco to gather, work and collaborate. The modern design embraces the industrial community of Mapunapuna in which this office is set, honors the history of Servco Pacific and its many companies and services that it has shared with us over the past 100+ years, and celebrates where the company is heading into their next century of work and community.

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RENOVATION AWARD – COM M ERCIAL/OTH ER 40,000 SF OR LES S

Waikiki Market by Food Pantry, Ltd. Entrant: Swinerton Builders Developer/Owner: Food Pantry, Ltd. Lead Design Firm: Lowney Architecture General Contractor: Swinerton Builders

AIKIKI MARKET BY FOOD PANTRY, LTD.

is Waikīkī’s only full-service, locally owned grocery store. The new two-story, 32,000-square-foot complex is located in the new Lilia Waikiki apartment building. This high-end market includes a 2,800-square-foot second-floor mezzanine and a 19,000-square-foot second-floor retail and restaurant space. Residents have access to restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating and four fresh food prep stations. Waikiki Market includes a general grocery section, seafood and meat departments, and a fresh produce section.

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PU B LI C/GOVE R N M E NT PROJ EC T AWAR D

Hale Kalele / Hale Hilina‘i Entrant: Bank of Hawai‘i Developer/Owner: Kobayashi Group Lead Design Firm: Design Partners Incorporated General Contractor: Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

ALE KALELE/HALE HILINA‘I transformed an

underutilized state land parcel into an innovative mixed-use development featuring an affordable rental tower, Juvenile Services Center, and six-story parking garage. The project was a collaboration between the State Judiciary, Kobayashi Group, and the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation. The project focuses on sustainability, and Kobayashi Group was able to expedite the project’s execution so that construction began less than 10 months after the HHFDC financial award.

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About NAIOP Hawaii

N O N PRO FIT PROJ EC T AWAR D & G R E E N B U I LD I N G AWAR D

Nohona Hale Entrant: EAH Housing Developer/Owner: EAH Housing & Bronx Pro Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture General Contractor: Swinerton Builders

RANSFORMED FROM A SURFACE PARKING LOT, Nohona Hale provides 110 modern

micro-unit apartments and a one-bedroom manager’s unit, along with common area amenities that include laundry facilities, a shared kitchen, meeting area/lounge and outdoor lanai, fitness room, and urban garden plots, along with bicycle, moped, and surfboard storage. Nohona Hale’s green features include natural ventilation from floor-to-ceiling window walls that lead to a lanai, LED lighting, low-flow water fixtures, vertical solar panels on the side of the building, rooftop solar water heating panels, rainwater catchment for landscape and urban farm irrigation, and no resident parking, encouraging walking, biking, transit or ride share use.

AIOP, THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, is the leading

organization for developers, owners and investors of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use commercial real estate. NAIOP comprises 20,000+ members and provides strong advocacy, education and business opportunities through a powerful North American network. Its sister organization, the NAIOP Research Foundation, is one of the industry’s leading think tanks dedicated to conducting research assessing the trends, economic viability and needs of the built environment. The Hawai‘i Chapter of NAIOP was chartered in 1988 and began with only a handful of members. Today, the chapter has more than 180 members, including many of Hawai‘i’s most influential developers, owners, investors, lenders, designers, attorneys, asset managers and other industry leaders. As the recognized forum for current issues that impact commercial real estate in Hawai‘i, NAIOP Hawaii strives to play an active role in our members’ professional development by sharing information on best practices, legislation and the latest developments in the real estate community and by providing numerous opportunities for networking at both the local and national levels.

NAIOP Hawaii PO Box 1601 Honolulu, HI 96806 Barbie M.W. Rosario, Executive Director barbie@naiophawaii.org www.naiophawaii.org

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DESIGN FIRM OF TH E YEAR

PBR HAWAII

ince 1970, PBR HAWAII has influenced almost every aspect of land use in Hawai‘i and other Pacific locations. Its projects have directed community growth, created sustainable communities, landscaped world-famous destination resorts and iconic parklands, and provided for the stewardship of the natural and built environments. In Hawai‘i alone, the company has guided the use and stewardship of more than 1.35 million acres – about 30 percent of total lands in the state. Its broad expertise encompasses land use master-planning; landscape architecture; environmental impact statements; entitlements/permitting, and graphic design. For decades the company has incorporated culturally appropriate, sustainable design into its work, based on an understanding of a location’s natural environment (ecosystem and natural resources), its people, local history, and culture. IMBEDDING CULTURAL SENSIBILITIES

A landscape master plan update for Thomas Square in urban Honolulu, completed in 2021, tells the story of the park’s history in relation to the 1843 restoration of the Hawaiian mon-

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Photo, above, Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina; below, Ko Olina Resort. PREM I ER SHOPPI NG DESTI NATION

Over the years PBR HAWAII played an integral role in the transformation of Ala Moana Center into a modern shopping and dining destination with extensive native Hawaiian gardens and ponds. The landscape design for the ‘Ewa expansion included the creation of a new anchor court – a popular gathering place for families and visitors. archy. Purposeful and symbolic design elements underscore the significance of the historic events at Thomas Square, not just for O‘ahu, but for all of Hawai‘i. WI D E R EACH I N R E SO RT S EC TO R

PBR HAWAII shaped the look and feel of many of the state’s top visitor destinations, including the long-range master plan for the Ko Olina Resort on O‘ahu; the Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu at Ko Olina; the Kā‘anapali Beach Resort on Maui; Kukui‘ula on Kaua‘i; and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on Hawai‘i Island.

E DUCATI O N I N FLU E N CE R

PBR HAWAII has significantly influenced educational spaces in Hawai‘i, including master planning two new Kamehameha Schools K-12 campuses and the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu campus, and providing sustainable landscape design for Leeward Community College Education and Innovation Instructional Facility. At Punahou School, the firm was instrumental in the design teams for the Omidyar K-1 Neighborhood, Case

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Photo, above, PBR Hawaii completed a landscape master plan for Thomas Square in 2021; ,left , University of Hawaii- West O‘ahu campus. Photos courtesy of Blue Sky Pictures.

Middle School, and Kosasa (Grades 2-5) Neighborhood campuses. LEAVING A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE

To ensure the continued excellence and leadership of its profession, PBR HAWAII established two endowed scholarships (totaling $100,000) at the

University of Hawai‘i, for students pursuing landscape architecture degrees and urban and regional planning degrees. “Over the last 53 years, we have been blessed with extraordinary employees that take great pride in their work and continue to provide quality design and planning services,” said PBR HAWAII President R. Stan Duncan, ASLA. “We

are fortunate to have worked with a number of great clients on many exciting projects that have contributed to enhancing Hawai‘i’s built and natural environments. “We are proud of the recognition our firm has received, both nationally and by our local Hawai‘i chapters of the American Planning Association and American Society of Landscape Architects, and by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation and now, by Hawai‘i’s commercial real estate industry as NAIOP Hawaii’s 2023 Design Firm of the Year.”

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DISTINGUISHED ENTRIES

AlohaCare Tenant Improvement Entrant: AHL Developer/Owner: AlohaCare Lead Design Firm: AHL General Contractor: JW Inc.

Architects Pacifi c Inc. Offi ce Entrants: J3 Construction & Cathy Lee Style Developer/Owner: Architects Pacific Inc. Lead Interior Design Firm: Cathy Lee Style General Contractor: J3 Construction Inc.

Cottages at Mauna ‘Olu Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: Stanford Carr Development Lead Design Firm: Alakea Design Group LLC General Contractor: Coastal Construction Company & JJS Construction

County of Maui Service Center Entrant: G70 Developer/Owner: County of Maui Department of Management Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Jacobsen Construction Co., Inc.

Elemental Excelerator Entrant: Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC Developer/Owner: Elemental Excelerator Lead Design Firm: Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC General Contractor: J. Kadowaki, Inc.

F-22 Fighter Alert Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Entrant: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. Developer/Owner: US Army Corps of Engineers Lead Design Firm: KAI Hawaii, Inc. General Contractor: Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.

FAI Architects New Offi ce Entrant: FAI Architects Developer/Owner: FAI Architects Lead Design Firm: FAI Architects General Contractor: BLCA Company, Inc.

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Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i STEM Center for Excellence Entrants: G70 & Hensel Phelps Developer/Owner: Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Hensel Phelps

‘Iolani School – Kaneshiro Science and Innovation Center & the Sidney and Minnie Kosasa Performance Studios Entrant: G70 & Allied Builders System Developer/Owner: ‘Iolani School Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Allied Builders System

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DISTINGUISHED ENTRIES

Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel Renovation Entrant: Swinerton Builders Developer/Owner: KBHL, LLC dba Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel Lead Design Firm: FSC Architects General Contractor: Swinerton Builders

Koloa Village Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: Mike Serpa Lead Design Firm: Suzuki Morgan Architects General Contractor: Shioi Construction, Inc.

Ko‘ula Entrant: The Howard Hughes Corporation Developer/Owner: The Howard Hughes Corporation Lead Design Firm: Studio Gang General Contractor: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company

Lilia Waikiki Entrant: Brookfield Properties Developer/Owner: OliverMcMillan Kuhio LLC dba Brookfield Properties Lead Design Firm: Solomon Cordwell Buenz General Contractors: Nordic PCL Construction & Allied Builders System

Lili‘uokalani Trust, Lydia House Entrant: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. Developer/Owner: Lili‘uokalani Trust, Lydia’s House Lead Design Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. General Contractor: Gateside Inc.

Na Lei Hulu Kupuna Entrant: American Savings Bank Developer/Owner: Na Lei Hulu Kupuna Senior Rentals LP Lead Design Firm: InForm Design General Contractor: Lindemann Construction, Inc.

Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort Entrant: Bank of Hawai‘i Developer/Owner: Outrigger Resorts & Hotels Lead Design Firm: Hart Howerton General Contractors: Nan, Inc. (guest rooms) & Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. (public areas)

Papa Pilialoha – the Friendship Floor Entrant: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. Developer/Owner: Central Pacific Bank Lead Design Firm: Ferraro Choi And Associates Ltd. General Contractor: J. Kadowaki Inc.

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua | Luxury Hotel Renovation Entrant: Layton Construction Developer/Owner: BRE Hotels and Resorts LLC Lead Design Firm: WCIT Architecture General Contractor: Layton Construction

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DISTINGUISHED ENTRIES

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii: Family Recreation Center Entrants: Cathy Lee Style & J3 Construction Inc. Developer/Owner: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii Lead Design Firms: Architects Pacific Inc. & Cathy Lee Style General Contractor: J3 Construction Inc.

Ulana Ward Village Sales Gallery Entrant: InForm Design Developer/Owner: The Howard Hughes Corporation Lead Design Firm: InForm Design General Contractor: J Kadowaki Inc.

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Queensbreak Pool and Amenity Deck Entrant: G70 Developer/Owner: Atrium Lead Design Firm: G70 General Contractor: Nan, Inc.

ϯϭϭ WƵƵŚƵĞ WůĂĐĞ

M a h a l o N A I O P H a w a i i an d Congratulations to all of the 2023 Kūkulu Hale Participants and Awardees

,ĞůƉŝŶŐ ƚŽ ,ŽƵƐĞ Oahu’s ƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů tŽƌŬĞƌƐ Contact info@hnldev.com to explore development opportunities Or call (808) 839-7446 for leasing availbility

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WonderClub Entrant: The Vanguard Theory Developer/Owner: Highgate Hotels L.P. Lead Design Firm: The Vanguard Theory General Contractor: PVH Construction

World Language Center Niu Valley Middle School Entrant: Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC Developer/Owner: State of Hawaii Department of Education Lead Design Firm: Dean Sakamoto Architects LLC General Contractors: S&M Sakamoto, Inc. & Close Construction, Inc.

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C H A P T E R AWA R D S 202 2 M E M B E RS O F TH E YEAR

202 2 M E M B E R CO M PANY O F TH E YEAR GLEN KANESHIGE AND

Glen Kaneshige President, Nordic PCL Construction

George Leong SVP & Team Leader, Commercial Real Estate Division, First Hawaiian Bank

GEORGE LEONG stood out for their dedication to the chapter and ensuring its financial stability during a year of continuing challenges throughout the economy. Beyond their respective roles on NAIOP Hawaii’s board, as a director and treasurer, Glen and George are always ready to lend a hand on any committee or task that elevates our organization.

NAIOP HAWAII SALUTES THE TEAM at Imanaka Asato LLLC for their continued support on the legislative front. Their guidance brings our members and sponsors a better understanding of legislative initiatives impacting the real estate industry, and their counsel allows NAIOP to effectively navigate the legislative process and collaborate with City and State government.

202 2 D EVE LO PI N G LEAD E R O F TH E YEAR EVAN IS THOUGHTFUL AND GENUINELY EN-

Evan K.C. Oue Associate Attorney, Imanaka Asato LLLC

GAGED with the legislative work he does for NAIOP. He also is recognized as a hard-working and effective member of the DL Steering Committee where he looks for ways to get other DL members involved in legislative projects for NAIOP and to build relationships with legislative counterparts.

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NAIOP HAWAII 2O23 CORPORATE SPONSORS PL ATI N U M S PO N SO R S

ProsPac Holding Group LLC

Nan, Inc.

American Savings Bank

PRP

Pacific Appliance Group

Avalon Group

The RMR Group

Philpotts Interiors

Cades Schutte LLP

Swinerton

RIM Architects

Honblue

SSFM International

The Howard Hughes Corporation Imanaka Asato LLLC NAREIT Hawaii

S I LVE R S PO N SO R S

Statewide Safety Systems

Atlas Insurance Agency

TCA Architects, Inc.

Carlsmith Ball LLP

Unlimited Construction Services, Inc.

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc.

Newmark Grubb CBI Inc. Riggs Distributing

CBRE

Settle Meyer Law

Cushman & Wakefield ChaneyBrooks

WRNS Studio

GO LD S PO N SO R S

Design Partners, Inc.

A.C. Kobayashi, Inc.

D.R. Horton Hawaii

Alexander & Baldwin

Goodsill Anderson Quinn & Stifel

AON

G70

Bank of Hawai‘i

Hawaii Operating Engineers Industry Stabilization Fund

BlackSand Capital LLC

The Wilhelm Group

B RO NZE S PO N SO R S

Colliers International Hawaii Commercial Asset Advisors Cumming General Contractors Association of Hawaii Island Energy Services

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company

Central Pacific Bank First Hawaiian Bank

Koa Restoration and Maintenance

Hawaiian Electric

Hawaiiana Management Company

Hensel Phelps Construction Co.

J. Uno & Associates

hi-arch-y llp

KAI Hawaii, Inc.

Hunt Companies, Inc.

Koga Engineering & Construction

R.M. Towill Corporation

Layton Construction Company

Title Guaranty of Hawaii, Inc.

Lowney Architecture

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

Kamehameha Schools MW Group, Ltd. Nordic PCL Construction

D I R EC TO R S

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

S ECO N D PAST PR E S I D E NT

S ECR ETARY

George Leong TR E ASU R E R

Tony Mizuno

Pulama Lanai

Todd Apo

PR E S I D E NT

Reyn Tanaka

Old Republic Title & Escrow

Francisco Gutierrez Ken Hayashida Larry Heim Mitchell Imanaka Doug Johnstone Glen Kaneshige Steve Kelly Serge Krivatsy Scott Settle Jan Yokota

I M M E D IATE PAST PR E S I D E NT

PR E S I D E NT- E LEC T

MacNaughton

MGA Architecture

NAIO P H AWAI I 2O23 BOAR D O F DIRECTO RS

Jennifer Camp

Law Offices of Nancy Grekin

Cathy Camp

Bryan Li NATI O NAL BOAR D R E PR E S E NTATIVE

Guy Churchill Daniel Cody

Barbie Rosario

LEGISLATIVE LIAISON

Mike Kido DEVELOPING LEADERS CO - CHAI R S

Ellen Ashford Chris Fong

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

O‘ahu’s Next Residential Boomtowns: Kalihi-Pālama and Waiawa However, Kamehameha Schools’ housing projects in Kapālama Kai and Waiawa will take decades to complete. And Kapālama Kai alone needs about a billion dollars in infrastructure spending. BY NO ELLE FUJII-O RIDE

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS

Kamehameha Schools envisions that its Kapālama Kai master planned community will one day have 4,500 homes.

A L I H I - PĀ L A M A AND WA I AWA W I L L E X P E R I E N C E the largest

growth in new homes on O‘ahu after 2025 largely due to master planned communities envisioned by Kamehameha Schools. That’s according to the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s most recent land use report (tinyurl.com/ 3kum64td). The report provides an overview of 120 known O‘ahu projects, with 105,322

units planned as of fiscal year 2021. Kamehameha Schools hopes 4,500 homes will be built in its Kapālama Kai community and 11,000 in Waiawa. Together they would help reduce the island’s housing shortage, but full buildout will likely take 20 years in Kapālama Kai and 50 to 60 years in Waiawa. KS anticipates that many of those homes will target households earning less than 140% of the area median income; for a family of four, that threshold is currently $182,840 a year. Kamehameha Schools owns about 105 acres of land in the Kalihi-Iwilei area and almost

9,000 acres in Waiawa, between Pearl City and Waipi‘o. The master plans call for the creation of mixed-use communities that take advantage of denser, transit-oriented development close to the rail line. The trust would partner with developers to bring its visions to life. Walter Thoemmes, managing director of Kamehameha Schools’ Commercial Real Estate Division, says the larger goal is to create a return on the trust’s land value to support its mission of providing educational opportunities to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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NEAR PLANNED RAIL STATION

About 50 acres would be transformed under Kamehameha Schools’ Kapālama Kai plan. The warehouses and industrial yards bounded by Kapālama Canal, Dillingham Boulevard and Waiakamilo Road would be replaced by mixeduse towers and open, green space. The towers would be taller and denser closer to the canal, especially near the planned Niuhelewai rail station at the intersection of Dillingham Boulevard and Kokea Street. The anticipated 4,500 homes would be built at various heights and include both for-sale and rental units. Thoemmes says Kamehameha Schools anticipates that many homes would be part of 201H projects. The state’s 201H statute allows projects to receive building exemptions and fee waivers in exchange for providing a certain amount of affordable housing. He adds that Kamehameha Schools has been working on its Kapālama Kai master plan for about five years and is committed to maintaining the area’s industrial footprint. Rail construction is ongoing in the area, which Thoemmes acknowledges can make it hard for developers and future residents to envision a community with homes and other uses. One of the trust’s early projects would turn the Dillingham Plaza retail complex into a hub for food systems and creative industries. Foodland, Office Depot and Savers Thrift Store currently anchor that complex. “We see this opportunity to create a hub of creative industries at this place that will help put Kapālama on a map as a community that we can build out housing and other complementary type businesses and retail around creative industries and food,” he says. In Waiawa, KS plans to focus on about 2,000 acres, many of which are already designated for urban use. The community would consist of 11,109 homes, 51 farm lots, 105 acres of schools, 371 acres of open space, 134 acres of parks, and 558,666 square feet of retail and commercial space, according to the master plan (tinyurl.com/mun5hkyd) the trust submitted to the state Land Use Commission in 2019. 130

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The idea is to incorporate ahupua‘a planning principles by placing businesses, retail, food, health and other necessities near homes. “It’s that type of cultural view that, in my personal opinion, has been kind of gotten lost in the way we plan and zone and entitle land,” Thoemmes says. “You put all the houses over there, you put industrial over there, you put retail over here. How do people live? You have to get in your car to drive to all these places.” Kamehameha Schools envisions that as many Waiawa homes as possible would be affordable – targeting households earning less than 140% AMI – if not all of them. The initial development focus will be on the southern portion of the trust’s Waiawa lands, which is less than 1 mile from the Pearl Highlands rail station and bus transit center. “It’s really about creating a new community there that has the multimodal connection to our rail system,” Thoemmes says. INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS

Redevelopment of the two areas is expected to be a long process. The transformation of Kamehameha Schools’ lands in the Kalihi-Iwilei area is expected to take 20 years and consist of multiple phases. Waiawa could take three times longer and would involve five phases. Those estimates include time for much-needed infrastructure improvements. Kamehameha Schools has been talking with the county, state and Hawaiian Electric Co. about increasing the Kalihi-Iwilei area’s electrical capacity to support future development, says Serge Krivatsy, senior planning and development director. Iwilei is expected to grow by 27,000 new homes over the next 30 years and nearly 2 million square feet of existing commercial, institu-

tional and mixed-use space would be assigned other uses, according to the Iwilei Infrastructure Master Plan prepared for the Hawai‘i Housing and Finance Development Corp. and Department of Accounting and General Services.

“WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE NEEDS TODAY AND HOW DO WE USE OUR LANDS TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION.” — Walter Thoemmes, Managing Director, Kamehameha Schools’ Commercial Real Estate Division

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS

“We try to understand what are the needs today and how do we use our lands to support our mission but also solve for some of the challenges we have in our community today, as well as pursue some of the opportunities that we see,” he says.

One of KS’ earliest Kapālama Kai projects would turn the Dillingham Plaza retail complex into a hub for food systems and creative industries.

The plan, completed in February of this year, anticipates that infrastructure improvements needed to realize the potential of transit-oriented development will cost $951 million to $990 million. That includes about $175 million for sewers; $31 million for water; $414 million to $446 million for drainage; $170 million for walkway, bikeway and roadway improvements; and $159 million to $166 million for electricity and telecommunications. Part of those improvements include turning the area along the Kapālama Canal into a milelong recreational area. The project is estimated to cost between $227 million to $258 million and will include water quality improvements, ﬂoodwalls, a pedestrian and bike trail, picnic pavilions, footbridges at Kalani and Kaumuali‘i streets, parking and a lawn area. Kamehameha Schools says it hopes to

concentrate many of its Kapālama Kai homes along the canal. Ian Scheuring, deputy communications director for the City and County of Honolulu, wrote in an email to Hawaii Business that the county just completed design work for canal dredging and has applied for federal grants to help pay for the project. He added that the county has an intergovernmental agreement with the state on the planning, designing and construction of infrastructure improvements in the Iwilei area. And a financing study led by the state is looking at options to implement and prioritize the identified improvements. Some government funds have been earmarked for infrastructure work. The state Legislature’s latest budget bill, House Bill 300, includes $86 million in fiscal year 2024 for Iwilei-Kapālama infrastructure upgrades.

The bill is pending the governor’s signature. And Scheuring says that Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi allotted $2 million in his proposed budget to conduct infrastructure regional planning studies for affordable housing needs in Iwilei. He did the same for West O‘ahu and Hālawa. Kamehameha Schools’ Waiawa land, which was formerly used for plantations, doesn’t have any infrastructure, except for dirt roads and two solar farms. Thoemmes says the Waiwa project would be tough to build because of high infrastructure costs. “It’s this kind of puzzle that we’re hoping we have a compelling enough vision of what this community can be that a developer or a group of developers can come forth and say, ‘We can make this work economically, KS, let’s get started,’ ” he says. H AWA I I B U S I N ES S

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BEST BEST 2O22 TO PLACES PLACES TO WORK! 2O22 BEST WORK! 2O22 PLACES BEST TO WORK! BEST TO PLACES PLACES TO WORK! WORK! THIS IS THE 19TH YEAR

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It was exhilarating celebrating in-person with so many remarkable companies dedicated to excellent workplace culture. We are thankfulin-person to our teammates It was exhilarating celebrating with so for voting us a Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i 13 years in many remarkable companies dedicated to excellent a row and giving usWe theare opportunity participate once workplace culture. thankful totoour teammates again in the for voting uscelebration! a Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i 13 years in Ita was exhilarating celebrating in-person with soonce focused creating a culture of inclusion, rowWe’re and giving uson the opportunity to participate many remarkable companies to excellent transparency, feedback, highdedicated performance, showing again in the celebration! workplace We are thankful to our appreciation and keeping things fun. Combined with We’re culture. focused on creating a culture ofteammates inclusion, for voting us a Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i 13awardyears Ittransparency, was exhilarating celebrating in-personshowing with so in our unstuffy and collaborative environment, feedback, high performance, aappreciation row and giving us the opportunity to participate once many remarkable companies dedicated to excellent winning benefits workthings perks, fun. our culture is one and and keeping Combined with again in the celebration! workplace culture. We are thankful to our teammates Itour was exhilarating celebrating in-person withbest so that makes people want to show up and do their unstuffy and collaborative environment, awardWe’re focused on creating a culture of excellent inclusion, for voting us a Best Place Work in Hawai‘i 13isyears many remarkable companies dedicated to work every day. winning benefits and worktoperks, our culture one in high performance, showing atransparency, rowMahalo and giving usWe theBusiness opportunity participate once workplace culture. are our teammates tofeedback, Hawaii Magazine for continuing that makes people want tothankful show uptoto and do their best appreciation keeping things Combined withina again in the celebration! for voting usday. aand Best Placeworkplace to Workfun. inculture Hawai‘i 13 years to promote outstanding and being work every our unstuffy and collaborative environment, awardWe’re focused on creating aMagazine culture offor inclusion, astrong row and giving us the opportunity to participate once voice for our business community! Mahalo to Hawaii Business continuing winning benefits and work perks, our culture is one transparency, feedback, high performance, showing again in WHITEHEAD, the outstanding celebration! to BETH promote workplace culture and being a — EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & that makes people want tothings show up doSAVINGS their with best appreciation and keeping fun.and Combined We’re focused on creating aAMERICAN culture of inclusion, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, BANK strong voice for our business community! work every day. our unstuffy and collaborative environment, awardtransparency, feedback, high performance, showing — BETH WHITEHEAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & Mahalo toand Hawaii Business Magazine for continuing winning benefits and work perks, our culture is one appreciation keeping things fun. Combined with CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK to outstanding being that makes people want workplace to show upculture and doand their best a ourpromote unstuffy and collaborative environment, awardstrong voice for our community! work every day. winning benefits andbusiness work perks, our culture is one Mahalo to Hawaii Business Magazine fortheir continuing — BETH WHITEHEAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT &best that makes people want to show up and do CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN BANK to promote outstanding workplace cultureSAVINGS and being a work every day. strong voicetofor our business Mahalo Hawaii Businesscommunity! Magazine for continuing — WHITEHEAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & to BETH promote outstanding workplace culture and being a CHIEF OFFICER, AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK strongADMINISTRATIVE voice for our business community! — BETH WHITEHEAD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN SAVINGS BANK

MAHALO MAHALO TO TOSPONSORS OUR OUR MAHALO SPONSORS! AND PARTNERS! TO OUR SPONSORS!

P R E S E N T E D BY : P R E S E N T E D BY :

“As this year’s Best Places to Work, Healthiest Workplace sponsor, we at UHA were “The Atlas Insurance honored Agency team was once to celebrate these again thrilled to be part of Hawaii Businessthat wonderful companies Magazine’s Best Places Work event the are to recognized forfor their 15th consecutive year! This eventand is always commitment actionone of the highlights of the year for the us. Itoverall not only to support celebrates our accomplishments, but is a well-being of theiritpeople. wonderful team-bonding experiencetoand gives Congratulations all the us a chance to get toemployers know ourrecognized other fellowas a awardees. We look forward to participating again Best Place to Work in Hawai‘i!”

in the future.”

— H OWA R D L E E , P R E S I D E N T

A N DVICE C E OPRESIDENT, , U H A H E A LT H — VINCE MIYOI , SENIOR CLIENT CONSULTING SERVICES ORGANIZ ATIONAL I N S U&R A NCE MANAGEMENT, ATL AS INSUR ANCE AGENCY

“It was an honor to sponsor an event that is focused on “Congratulations to all theour companies who in what team believes made the Best Places to Worka List! a place providing greatAs work company focused on care and forpreventive our employees. We are wellness, we supportthankful everything Healthiest to be the amongst such Places to Work award recognizes. We good company andapplaud we will employers who are committed create better continue to to strive to provide lives for their staff and communities around onethe of Hawai‘i’s Best Places to them – making Hawaii a great place to not only Work for our amazing team!”

make a living, but also make a life.” — SUNNY CERELEJIA ,

— UHA HEALTH INSURMANCE A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , AT L A S I N S U R A N C E

Best “We were honored to“The be a2022 part of thePlaces high- to Work celebration will go energy Best Places to Work event to help recognize and celebrate downoutstanding in the booksemployers as one of and their dedicated the employees. In today’sevents world, most memorable organizations that prioritize the human for our team. It wasside the of first the business and demonstrate commitment to time we were able to gather employee well-beingand andrecognize success emerge as how grateful employers of choice.we Congratulations to all!” are for our employees, fellow nominees, and the

— SAR AH GUAY, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE Hawaii Business Magazine OFFICER , HAWAII EMPLOYERS COUNCIL

team in two years! Here’s to many more in-person to come!” “Dave & Buster’s has celebrations been a sponsor of this

— Cand H A Sit ON S H I Iof , our event for several years is Ione P R E S I D E N T,events AT L A Sthat favorite corporate networking I N S U Ryear! A N C EThe AG EHawaii N CY we look forward to every Business team does an amazing job and the number of referrals and we receive “As aleads company that is all makes this sponsorship a great on aour about peoplereturn and has investment. We arereputation looking forward to aour of being great partnership for manyemployer, years toAlaska come.”Airlines

was thrilled to be a part of this year’s Best Places to Work event to help honor Hawai‘i’s best companies “JPG Hawaii has partnered with Hawaii Business organizations. It was fun Magazine on severaland events now and they have finallyThe be back in-person all been run very effito ciently. attendees are and be able celebrate great quality businesspeople andtowe’ve made a lot of new contacts.”with friends that we haven’t seen in many months!” — DAVE & BUSTER’ S HONOLULU

AWA R D S P O N S O R S :

C O R P O R AT E — JODI NAK AMA , SALES CONSULTANT, JPG HAWAII — D A N I E L C H U N , D I R E C TO R P H OTO S P O N S O R :

OF SALES, COMMUNITY & P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S , AL ASK A AIRLINES

H O M E OW N E R S

I N S U R A N C E

Your Hawai‘i Home Insurance Rates Have Probably Gone Up. Here’s Why. The reasons are numerous, including rising construction costs, leaking pipes and Florida’s Hurricane Ian. But there are ways to reduce your premiums. BY JAN IS MAGIN MEIERDIERCKS

ENISE F LEMING G OT A SH O C K

while going through her mail after a three-week vacation: The price for the homeowners insurance on her single-family home in Kailua had gone up nearly $300 from last year, a 37% increase. Her insurance agent blamed the increase on the higher cost of construction materials. She is one of many Hawai‘i homeowners paying double-digit increases on the costs of insuring their houses and condominiums. Other homeowners find their longtime carriers refusing to renew because of their roof’s age, while many condominium owners have to double or triple their insurance coverage to meet their associations’ new requirements. Homeowners insurance protects your house or condo plus everything in it, plus adjacent buildings such as carports and garages, if they are damaged or destroyed in a fire or other covered event. The policy also protects against theft and other problems. When the National Weather Service issues a hurricane warning for your area, your hurricane policy takes effect. Homeowners and hurricane insurance are not mandated by the state or county governments in Hawai‘i. But if you have a mortgage, your lender will require you to insure the property. THE HIGHER COST TO REBUILD

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to steel that started during the Covid-19 pandemic, are a major factor pushing insurance rates up. Todd Tamori, sales manager for personal lines at Atlas Insurance Agency in Honolulu, says people should reassess their coverage. With higher construction costs, a homeowner’s current coverage amount might not be enough to rebuild a home under today’s prices. “Your insurance has to follow because what it costs to repair or rebuild your home two years ago, it’s very different from what it is now with the cost of lumber, cost of copper and availability of materials.” Many claims for damage to a home can result in a full replacement, says Jeff Grimmer, VP of financial operations and treasurer at First Insurance Co. of Hawaii Ltd. And the cost to rebuild a home, regardless of how old it is, keeps pace with current costs. “Obviously, you can’t replace an old roof with an old roof. You have to replace it with a new roof,” he says. “That’s why the limits will typically go up over time even though the value, so to speak, of the structure may stay constant or go down over time.” GLOBAL MARKETS FOR REINSURANCE

Another factor for higher rates is the global market for reinsurance – the insurance that regular insurance companies pay to share their risk. For instance, global property-catastrophe prices increased 37% on Jan. 1, compared with a 9% increase the previous year, according to figures from Howden Broking Group

Ltd., a global insurance broker. So even though Hawai‘i hasn’t had a major hurricane since Iniki devastated Kaua‘i in 1992, storms and other catastrophes that strike anywhere else in the world impact what homeowners

“YOUR INSURANCE HAS TO FOLLOW BECAUSE WHAT IT COSTS TO REPAIR OR REBUILD YOUR HOME TWO YEARS AGO, IT’S VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS NOW WITH THE COST OF LUMBER, COST OF COPPER AND AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS.” TODD TAMORI, SALES MANAGER FOR PERSONAL LINES AT ATLAS INSURANCE AGENCY IN HONOLULU

PHOTO BY AARON YOSHINO

Many Hawai‘i homeowners are paying doubledigit increases for insurance on their houses and condominiums.

here pay for insurance. Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida’s west coast in September as a Category 4 storm, caused $112.9 billion in damage in the U.S. alone, which made it the third-costliest hurricane in U.S. history, according to a report last month by the National Hurricane Center. Disasters such as the earthquake in Syria and Turkey put further pressure on the global reinsurance market. While reinsurance companies are raising their rates anywhere from 30% to 50%, some carriers, like First Insurance Co. of Hawaii, are keeping increases closer to 10%, FICOH’s Grimmer says. “In the short run, the reinsurance companies can adjust their prices a lot more quickly than we can,” he says. “We have to put together a full rate filing and submit it to the state of Hawai‘i and they

have to approve it.” Grimmer says the cost of reinsurance is only about 20% to 25% of FICOH’s total costs, so rate increases or decreases are factored over time. “We’re much closer to our customer,” he says. “We want to make it smoother and avoid the big ups and downs that these reinsurers will see.” Some of the reinsurance increases may also show up in hurricane insurance policies, which are nearly always separate from traditional homeowners policies in Hawai‘i. “The bigger effect we’re seeing is on the catastrophe insurance, hurricane insurance, because of the cost of the reinsurance for those policies, so people may see a bigger percentage increase on their hurricane insurance than their homeowners policy,” Tamori says.

WATER WOES IN CONDOS

Many condo owners find they have to increase their insurance coverage to cover the higher deductible for their condo association’s master policy. One building’s deductible more than tripled. “The frequency of water losses is what’s driving these deductibles higher,” Tamori says. “Buildings are aging and the plumbing has never been redone.” Honolulu especially has many condos that were built in the 1960s and ’70s. Leaks from one unit can damage other apartments below. And it’s not just the old buildings. “There’s one building in particular,” says Tamori, declining to name the property. “It’s a newer building and had a significant water loss that affected, I think, from more than 10 floors up, down to the lobby.”

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He says the insurance for that building’s condo association now has a $250,000 deductible. That means individual homeowners must be insured for at least that amount in case they have to pay for damage to their apartments and other apartments if their pipes or water heaters leak or burst. “If I live in a condo, I have a water leak in my room damaging my unit, leaking down to the units around me, I may be assessed that building deductible,” Tamori says. He says that while a condo building may once have had a deductible of $25,000, it’s more common now to see $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 or even $250,000 like the example above. If you don’t have your own insurance, and your pipes cause that kind of damage, you will have to pay the cost out of pocket. Gordon Ito started his second term as state insurance commissioner in January, after previously serving from 201018. He says the state has noticed an uptick in frequency and severity of water losses in aging condo buildings in the past two or three years. The rising insurance rates are a concern for Ito’s department, which is charged with approving or rejecting rate increases. The Insurance Division’s website has guides for consumers to

I N S U R A N C E

“YOU’LL PAY A LOWER PRICE FOR YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE WHEN YOU PUT THAT NEW ROOF ON, AND THEN OVER TIME THAT CREDIT WILL GO DOWN AS THE ROOF AGES.” compare rates, including one for owners of single-family homes, one for condo owners and one for renters. “We look at what are causing the rising rates. With insurance there are two factors, either frequency or severity or both,” he says. “In the case of the condos, we’re looking at what can we do to reduce frequency or severity of loss.” While there is a base rate for the Hawai‘i market, individual buildings can keep their rates down by being proactive with maintenance, Ito says.

Relatively Few Hawai‘i Homes Covered by Flood Insurance

JEFF GRIMMER, VP OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS AND TREASURER AT FIRST INSURANCE CO. OF HAWAII LTD.

“Their rates won’t be the same – the insurance company will rate each building as a separate risk,” Ito says. WHAT CONSUMERS CAN DO

While it’s up to condo associations to replace water-supply and waste pipes, Ito says, homeowners can reduce the chance of problems by replacing old water-supply hoses for toilets, sinks and washing machines, as well as valves and fixtures. For single-family homes, especially

HAWAI‘I HOMES WITH AND WITHOUT FLOOD INSURANCE

in Hawai‘i in the past 10 years was $42,300. While there are 61,400 ﬂood policies in force in Hawai‘i, there are also 400,000 properties that are not covered by the program, according to FEMA. Most ﬂooding is not covered by regular homeowners insurance nor by hurricane insurance.

F LO O D I N S U R E D

N OT F LO O D I N S U R E D

A P P R OX I M AT E LY = 3 , 0 0 0 H AWA I ‘ I HOMES SOURCE: FEMA

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INFOGRAPHIC BY AMY LOWE

T H E AV E R AG E C L A I M PAYO U T BY T H E N AT I O N A L F LO O D I N S U R A N C E P R O G R A M

single-wall homes, installing hurricane clips can mean discounts on a hurricane policy. Maintaining or replacing the roof can also help; Grimmer says FICOH wouldn’t deny a renewal to a customer because of a 20-year-old roof — some mainland carriers do that — but the carrier does give homeowners a credit on their policy when a new roof is installed. “In other words, you’ll pay a lower price for your homeowners insurance when you put that new roof on, and then over time that credit will go down as the roof ages,” Grimmer says. To prepare for hurricanes, and possibly get a discount on your premiums, cut plywood to create hurricane shutters, says Tom Roselli, GM and VP of HCA Consulting Group International, who started his career as a catastrophe claims adjuster before spending more than 20 years with insurance companies in Hawai‘i and on the mainland. “Then when the hurricane comes you board up your house. You can even go more permanent with hurricane shutters,” he says. He also advises homeowners to regularly paint their homes and to keep vegetation away from them. Also, he says, make sure rainwater drains away so it doesn’t pool around the house. PLUMBING AND WIRING ALSO CRUCIAL

Tamori says the main considerations for single-family homes are: When was the roof last replaced and when were the plumbing and electrical systems either redone or updated? “We’re seeing a lot of generational turnover, where people my age are inheriting homes,” he says. “And they’re having difficulty finding insurance coverage because they don’t know when the plumbing system and electrical were redone. Or they were never redone because their parents were the original owner. Nothing ever went wrong with it, so it’s still the original system.” A quick way to reduce insurance premiums is to raise your deductible, Roselli says. “The higher your deductible, the more that you self-insure, the lower your premium,” he says. Homeowners should also review

coverage for the contents of their home – everything from personal belongings to the granite countertops installed during a kitchen renovation. If your home is badly damaged, you may need to rent another home while repairs are done. Insurance can cover those living costs, but a lot of people either don’t have that coverage or have too little coverage for a rental of six months or more, Roselli says. “That’s the biggest, most devastating thing after a loss when your home is unfit to live in,” he says. “You’ve got to come up with all these expenses out of pocket for you to maintain your normal standard of living.”

face water. Even if you’re in Kāhala and it rains 12 inches and your pool overflows and goes into your house, that’s flood, or surface water. So it doesn’t have to be a river that overflows or a dam that bursts or storm surge.” Roselli says climate change will also increasingly drive insurance rates in Hawai‘i. “We’ve got king tides, erosion, storms are becoming more frequent, they’ve become stronger and, in addition to the climate change, the development runoff is a huge issue,” he says. “How we collect water and where that water goes is something that is factored in and needs to be factored into property damage moving forward.”

MANY OWNERS NEED FLOOD INSURANCE

Additionally, few people in Hawai‘i carry flood insurance. Floods caused by rain or water from the ocean or a stream are not covered by homeowners insurance or hurricane insurance. Lenders require flood insurance for homes in areas rated as high-risk flood zones, but there are many places in Hawai‘i outside of those zones that can be impacted by heavy rains. A recent release from FICOH quoted a FEMA statistic that just 1 inch of water in a home can cause $25,000 in damage. FICOH notes that only about 11,000 out of about 336,000 single-family homes in Hawai‘i have flood insurance issued through the National Flood Insurance Program. “If you want to have coverage as a result of the overflow of a body of water, water ponding in your yard that comes in through your walls, you need to have flood insurance,” Roselli says. Most damage during a hurricane is caused by flooding, and that damage is not covered by a hurricane policy. The exception would be if the hurricane tore a hole in the roof or the walls and water came in, he says. “If you leave your window open, and water flows in through your open window, it’s not covered because it’s not an opening that was created by the storm,” Roselli says. “But once water makes contact with the ground, it becomes groundwater subject to the flood exclusions for sur-

“THAT’S THE BIGGEST, MOST DEVASTATING THING AFTER A LOSS WHEN YOUR HOME IS UNFIT TO LIVE IN, YOU’VE GOT TO COME UP WITH ALL THESE EXPENSES OUT OF POCKET FOR YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR NORMAL STANDARD OF LIVING.” TOM ROSELLI, GM AND VP OF HCA CONSULTING GROUP INTERNATIONAL

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PA R T I N G

S H O T

TIME: 11:40 A.M.

LOCATION: HONOLULU, O‘AHU

PHOTOGRAPHER: AARON YOSHINO

Patience is One of Clay’s Lessons BY NO ELLE FUJII-O RIDE

PAO L A RO DR IGU E Z B E LTR AN , OWN E R O F M U DD STU DIO, paints a vase in her

1,500−square foot ceramics studio on the second floor of a nondescript building in Chinatown. Rodriguez Beltran opened Mudd Studio, formerly the Open Sea Studio, in January. The studio’s 85 members receive 24/7 access. “Creativity strikes at all times of the day and night, so we’re happy to enable people to do that,” she says. Members vary from artists making sculp-

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tures for exhibitions to individuals who have never made pottery before. The studio also offers workshops, private lessons and events. The most popular items students make are bowls, mugs, vases and decorative plates. Clay used at the studio must be purchased through Rodriguez Beltran. She says the studio can go through 3,000 pounds a month, though clay scraps and abandoned projects can be recycled. After sculpting a piece, the clay must dry for three days to a week before it’s ﬁred twice

in kilns. The first, called bisque firing, hardens the clay into ceramic material over two days at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The second firing is done after glaze is applied; it vitrifies the piece at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. “I think it teaches a lot of patience, understanding and many other things that I think people can start seeing in themselves when they start working with the material,” Rodriguez Beltran says. mudd-studio.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Leveling Up Maui’s Housing Options M U LT I  L E V E L , M U LT I  U S E A N D A F F O R D A B L E , A N E W D E V E L O P M E N T I N K Ī H E I P R O V I D E S O N E S O L U T I O N F O R H E L P I N G H AWA I ‘ I ’ S H O U S I N G C R I S I S .

The Hale o Pi‘ikea development will feature a mix of residential and retail space in the middle of Kīhei. Rendering courtesy of ‘Ikenākea Development

needed. “Here on Maui and across our M A G I N E N O T R E A L LY K N O W I N G Islands, we value our natural spaces your grandparents, because your and our agricultural lands,” he says. ‘ohana can’t all afford to live in the “When we bring those values to the same state. “It’s a tragedy,” says Keoni issue of housing, it means that instead Kuoha, director of the Hawai‘i Commuof adding to urban sprawl, we need to nity Foundation’s House Maui Initiative. build up a little bit.” “This loss of generational traditions tears A new, affordable housing developat the fabric of our communities.” ment in Kīhei, Hale O Pi‘ikea, may offer This scattering of family is a reality a preview of what a sustainable housing for many on Maui, where more than half future could look like for of families are housing “Here on Maui Maui communities. cost-burdened, meaning and across our Phase I of Hale o Pi‘ikea they pay more than 30 consists of two buildings, percent of their monthly Islands, we income toward housing. The value our natural four stories each, with a of 90 one-, two-, and House Maui Initiative brings spaces and our total three-bedroom units slated together a diverse group agricultural lands as rentals for low-income from across sectors—public ... It means that households (making less and private—to create a sustainable housing system that instead of adding than 60 percent of the area leads to homes affordable to urban sprawl, median income). Phase 1 is to our kama‘āina on Maui, we need to build expected to be completed where nearly 14,000 units up a little bit.” by 2024. It’s infill development, are needed by 2025.  KEONI KUOHA meaning it’s on a vacant Most of the recent parcel of land in an area affordable housing that has already been largedevelopments on Maui ly built up. By using these under-utilized have been either single-family homes spaces, housing can be created without or townhouses. But Hawai‘i won’t be adding to sprawl. able to address the housing shortage Phase 2 will build out 97 affordable with single-family homes alone, says rental units for kūpuna (ages 55 and up), Kuoha, and higher-density solutions are

and Phase 3 will be 36 affordable rental or for-sale townhomes. Resident managers will live and work on-site. “It’s been a collective approach. The property originally was slated to be developed into a downtown retail area, but the community was saying, hey, that’s great, but we need affordable housing,” says Christopher Flaherty, chairman and CEO of 3 Leaf Holdings Inc. and co-managing general partner of ‘Ikenākea Development. (‘Ikenākea Development is a partnership between the Hawaiian Community Development Board and 3 Leaf Holdings and works to develop affordable housing across Hawai‘i.) The revised plan still includes retail space, promoting a mixed-use development strategy that’s been well received by the community. “The developer of the Downtown Kīhei master plan, Krausz Companies, was a great partner,” says Flaherty. “They approached us about workforce housing, affordable housing, and sold us the south part of a parcel on Pi‘ikea Ave.” Hale O Pi‘ikea’s central location in Kīhei is designed to establish a walkable live/work area, with easy access to jobs at local hotels and resorts, as well as to restaurants, groceries, schools, beaches, a post office, and a bus route. “And being near a supermarket means better access to good, healthy food. For our lower-income community, that access has sometimes been an issue,” adds Kuoha. With so many rentals needed and the market pushing folks out of Maui, Kuoha says, “Let’s get to the core of the issue, and create affordable, stable rental opportunities for Maui’s families.”

T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T T H E H O U S E M AU I I N I T I AT I V E A N D H O W YO U C A N H E L P, V I S I T HOUSEMAUI.COM

The most important statistic in Hawai‘i real estate is the one we can’t measure.

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